One only has to look at the photographs of Ian's sobbing widow Eilisa at yesterday's unveiling of a memorial in his honour to know how much suffering has been endured by his family and loved ones.

Here, to use the words of Ian's superiors, was an 'exemplary' police officer, shot dead in cold blood as he patrolled the city on a quiet Boxing Day.

It is a mark of the esteem in which he was held that not only did Ian receive many letters of appreciation from people he had helped following traffic accidents but that even those on the wrong side of the law acknowledged his fairness and approachability.

We can only hope that Ian's family can take some comfort from the fact that there is now a permanent memorial to this son and husband who was held in such high regard by all those who knew him.

And that those who walk past the tragic spot where he died will pause to remember a brave and dedicated police officer who was so cruelly taken from us while going about his public duty.


Legal right?

THE question as to whether a person has the right to be helped to end their own life frequently stirs up a hornet's nest of debate.

There are those who believe it is a crime to assist someone to commit suicide, while others argue it is an infringement of a basic human right to threaten with prosecution those who help a loved one carry out his or her final wishes.

In a bid to rid us of this grey area once and for all, wheelchair-bound Debbie Purdy is seeking a landmark ruling to clarify the law on assisted suicide.

She wants to ensure her husband Omar will not face trial if her multiple sclerosis becomes so life-limiting that she asks him to help her bring her life to an end.

One can only marvel at the courage of this couple and hope that they achieve the outcome they have fought so hard for.

It is right that some clarity is brought to this complex issue – even if the fact that no case is the same makes it a difficult one for the legislators.


A rail find

RAIL enthusiast Bob Hibbert spent years searching for a guard's bag just like the one his father used during the golden age of steam.

Chancing upon one that fitted the bill at a car boot sale, he opened it up to discover it was in fact the very same one his dad Albert had owned all those years ago.

Now that's what you call a remarkable train of events.