Minute’s silence to remember police officer

A man has been charged with murder after PC David Phillips died trying to stop a stolen vehicle in Wallasey.

The dad-of-two suffered fatal injuries when he was hit by the Nissan pickup truck on Monday.

Police stations all over Lancashire observed a minute’s silence yesterday out of respect.

Yesterday morning, official police Twitter accounts posted the message: “We’ve just held a minute’s silence to remember our colleague PC Dave Phillips.

“Our thoughts remain with his family, friends and Merseyside Police.”

On Thursday, an 18-year-old appeared in court charged with murder.

Clayton Williams, of Wheatland Lane, Wallasey, is accused of taking the pickup truck and, as he was being pursued by police, driving it at PC Phillips.

He faces other charges of attempted grievous bodily harm, after PC Thomas Birketthad to jump out of the way of the truck, and aggravated vehicle-taking.

His co-accused, Philip Mark Stuart, 30, appeared at a separate hearing shortly afterwards.

Stuart, of Mayfair Court, Prenton, Wirral, is accused of the burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking and death caused by an accident, after allegedly being carried in the Mitsubishi.

PC Phillips, 34, was trying to use a “stinger” type device to puncture the pick-up truck’s wheels when he was struck in Dock Road, Wallasey, in the early hours of Monday. He died in hospital a short time later.