Ten men and boys held over death of newlywed officer on duty in Berkshire

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Detectives have been given more time to question 10 men and boys suspected of murdering the newlywed police officer Andrew Harper.

Thames Valley police were granted permission at Reading magistrates court on Sunday night to hold the 10 suspects, aged between 13 and 30, for a further 24 hours.

Harper, who had been due to go on honeymoon this week, was killed in the line of duty as he responded to reports of a burglary. He was struck by a vehicle after leaving his car at a crossroads on the A4 near Sulhamstead village, Berkshire.

Forensic officers have since been seen searching a caravan site on Padworth Road, near Burghfield Common, where two vans were apparently blocking the entrance.

Police said five of the detained men were from Burghfield Common and neighbouring Burghfield.

They are: a 17-year-old from Bramley, Hampshire; a 17-year-old from Aldermaston, Berkshire; a 20-year-old from Burghfield, Berkshire; a 16-year-old from Burghfield Common, Berkshire; an 18-year-old from Mortimer, Berkshire; a 24-year-old from Bramley, Hampshire; a 30-year-old from Burghfield Common; a 20-year-old from Reading, Berkshire; a 16-year-old from Burghfield Common and a 13-year-old from Burghfield Common.

On Friday, the Thames Valley chief constable, John Campbell, explained Harper was at the scene with a fellow officer and was out of his police car when the incident occurred, adding: “What we do know is Andrew had been dragged along by a vehicle.”

The suspects were detained within about an hour and officers were working “hard and diligently to find out what happened”, he added.

Campbell said Harper was a “highly regarded, popular member of the team”, adding: “Everybody I’ve spoken to about Andrew talked about the incredible personality he was, what a fantastic police officer, and what a great friend and man he was, and he’ll be sorely missed by everybody.” The force’s flags are flying at half mast as a sign of respect “in honour and memory of Andrew”, he said.

A postmortem is taking place to establish the cause of death. Harper joined as a special constable in 2010 before becoming a police officer a year later, serving in the roads policing proactive unit based at Abingdon police station.