On 10 December 2023, Assistant Chief Constable and Executive Chair of the Lancashire Resilience Forum, Peter Lawson passed away suddenly at home. On 29 December, he was laid to rest in Chorley, surrounded by his family, friends and colleagues following a sombre police Guard of Honour from Chorley Police Station to Charnock Richard.
Shortly before his death, good friend and colleague Wendy Bower – Chief Superintendent at Lancashire Constabulary - had retired, but was planning to fulfil a lifelong ambition - to run a half marathon.
For 27 years, Wendy and Pete had worked together across the county to keep Lancashire safe. Wendy had served in the Army prior to joining Lancashire Police in 1997, while Pete had started fresh faced at the age of 22 as a response bobby. Over the years, they’d work alongside one another in all three divisions of the county on immediate response, Specialist Operations policing and at large scale public events. When Pete took the seat as the Executive Chair of the multi-agency Lancashire Resilience Forum (LRF) in 2021, Wendy was there to support him, already being the established Chair of the General Purposes group.
In 2023, Wendy was awarded a lifetime achievement award for her contributions to policing, by the British Association of Women in Policing.
In the months after Pete’s passing, Wendy stayed in close contact with his family, and keen to support them in honouring Pete’s memory, took the chance and signed up for the Great Manchester Run - half marathon, in May 2024.
Speaking of her decision to run, she said: “In order to honour Pete's memory and to scratch my itch to run a half marathon, I have entered the Great Manchester Run and I have decided to try and raise some much needed cash for the British Heart Foundation.
“The BHF fund around £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases, whether that be stroke, diabetes, heart disease or vascular dementia – they’re all under the microscope and they need the publics help to raise funds for their research, and to support individuals and families dealing with these conditions.
“Pete was, and still is an important part of our lives. Our police family take care of one another when we’re on the beat, and when we stand down for the last time.
“I'm aiming high for the fundraising target at £2060 - which was Pete's collar number. It will be an absolute honour to run in memory of a thoroughly decent man and much missed friend, and raise some funds for a great cause”.
Jayne Lawson, Pete's widow added, "I truly miss Peter every moment of every day and cannot believe how this could ever have happened to us in what was a most uplifting chapter in our lives.
"Any research that might help prevent this happening to anybody else, then I am 100% behind it."
For more information, and to support Wendy on her mission to complete the half marathon, please visit the fundraising page.
