The life of Sergeant Matt ‘Matiu’ Ratana will be commemorated at a special service, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has confirmed.

The first anniversary of the murder of Sergeant Matt ‘Matiu’ Ratana,has been marked with the announcement of a special memorial service.

Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, announced it will held in November.

This event will take the place of a full police funeral, which the Met were unable to hold due to COVID restrictions.

Dame Cressida said: “When Matt was killed, COVID-19 meant the Met weren't able to mark his death with a force funeral in the way that we would have wished to. I said at the time that when restrictions were no longer in place, we would hold a full memorial service that would allow us to come together in Matt's memory.”

On Friday, 25 September last year, Sergeant Ratana, a 54-year-old custody sergeant, was on duty at the Met’s Custody Centre, Windmill Lane in Croydon when he was fatally shot. 

A man has been charged with his murder.

Today police officers and staff across the Met will take a moment to remember him in a minute of silence at 11:00hrs.

He is also set to be given special mention tomorrow at the National Police Memorial Day in Lincoln.

The Commissioner and Senior Chaplain Jonathan Osbourne will represent the Met at the event.

But in the year since, the public outpouring of grief has been turned into a remarkable fundraising effort to support the foundation set up by friends and colleagues in both the police and rugby communities.

Marathon runs, rugby games and even clothing ranges have been organised to support its work in just a few months.

The Commissioner said: “Matt has very much been in our thoughts over the last year, both as we grieve for him, but also as we celebrate his life. His legacy lives on with his family and friends from the Met, rugby, and beyond.

“For many people the anniversary of Matt’s murder and National Police Memorial Day will be a time of particular sadness and reflection but we will never forget all our fallen colleagues and will remember and honour them forever.”