A LYONSHALL police officer who was murdered while serving in Cyprus 60 years ago will be remembered this month.

Sergeant Hugh Carter, of Herefordshire Constabulary, was shot and killed on September 28 1956, while serving with the United Kingdom Police Unit in Cyprus.

He was just 25 years old.

During the EOKA conflict in Cyprus, British Forces were supplemented by a contingent of 'British bobbies', both men and women.

Sgt Carter was shot in Ledra Street, in the centre of Nicosia's Murder Mile. Sgt Cyril Thorogood, of the Leicester and Rutland

Constabulary, was also killed, while Sgt William Webb, of the Worcestershire Constabulary, was injured in the attack.

Nicos Sampson, a 25-year-old Greek Cypriot photo-journalist, was found guilty of possession of arms, and for that offence received the death penalty. This immediately provoked further outbreaks of violence and the authorities commuted his sentence to life imprisonment in England.

Sgt Carter's body was flown home and his funeral at Lyonshall was one of the biggest ever seen at the Church of St Michael and All Angels, with 120 police men and women forming a guard of honour.

To mark 60 years since Sgt Carter died, a memorial evening will take place at the church on Tuesday, September 27 from 6.45pm.

Some of those who served alongside Sgt Carter will be at the event, as well as his brother Joe Carter.

It will be a music concert featuring three talks – one by Joe Carter about memories of his brother, the second from the Police Role of Honour Trust about how officers who pay the ultimate sacrifice are remembered and the third from the police chaplaincy.

A forces bugler will be attending and the bells will ring for each year of Sgt Carter's life.

The evening is open to members of the public.