'I was forced to tear my kids' worlds apart after devastating knock at the door 15 years ago'

Hazel, the widow of PC William Barker who died volition searching for casualties adjacent a raging stream backmost successful 2009, has shared her haunting memories of the time helium mislaid his life

The widow of a police hero swept to his decease successful the Cumbrian floods has paid an affectional tribute connected the 15th day of the disaster.

PC William "Bill" Barker died portion searching for casualties adjacent a raging stream connected November 20, 2009. His widow Hazel, 70, says it was near to her "to teardrop my children's worlds apart" arsenic she broke the quality of their father's death.

He was lasting connected Northside Bridge successful Workington erstwhile a conception of it gave mode underneath him. The 44-year-old was carried disconnected by the swollen River Derwent. His assemblage washed up 10 miles distant connected a formation successful Allonby.

Pc Barker was posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery. Marking the anniversary, Hazel was "full of a substance of emotions".

"I heard a sound astatine the door, and I tin inactive perceive that sound astatine the doorway 15 years later," she said. "It was a mean Friday morning. I couldn't settee during the night, I don't cognize why. So I came downstairs, laid the mugs connected the table, the accustomed mundane things you do.

"I knew thing was precise wrong, I thought it was idiosyncratic who had brought Bill home. I heard a knock, she asked to travel successful and I said 'just archer maine that he's alright'."

The father-of-four had served for 25 years and had been successful the roads policing portion since 1991. He was checking for radical successful the h2o portion redirecting postulation disconnected the bridge, arsenic 24-hours of rainfall near immoderate areas nether 8ft (2.4 m) of water.

Hazel told the BBC that it was "so surreal" astatine the time. Her contiguous thoughts went to the children sleeping upstairs. The youngest was aged 4 astatine the time. "I retrieve america going to Cockermouth, it was similar a warfare zone," she said. "To spot the resilience of Cumbria made maine arrogant to beryllium Cumbrian.

"And the resilience of my kids, they've each grown up now, each making their mode successful life. But it could person been very, precise antithetic for them. It's been a brainsick 15 years for me. Whilst there's been a batch of sadness, there's besides been an astonishing magnitude of joy, that's the balance."

Cumbria Crime Commissioner David Allen besides paid tribute, saying: “I knew PC Bill Barker during my clip arsenic a Sergeant astatine Workington. He was respected by each of america that knew him, and helium had a large consciousness of nationalist duty." Cumbria Police clasp an yearly shot tourney successful his memory, with officers and unit competing for the Bill Barker Memorial trophy, raising wealth for The Great North Air Ambulance ‘Pride of Cumbria’.