The family and friends of a beloved Hertfordshire police officer have paid tribute to him after his heartbreaking sudden death.
Police Constable Luke Fuller, who was 31, sadly passed away on Thursday, November 23 with his family by his side.
His funeral took place in Hertfordshire this morning (Tuesday, December 12), with full police honours including uniformed outriders accompanying the cortege and a guard of honour outside the church. Chief Constable Charlie Hall attended, along with many friends and colleagues from across the force.
Luke joined the constabulary in 2016, working in the Force Communication Room (FCR) as a communications operator before starting his training to become a police officer in January 2021. He spent time in Stevenage, before passing out in January 2023 and joining the Intervention Team at Hitchin, North Herts.
Luke grew up in Watford, the second child of Jason and Caroline Fuller, with his sister, Paige, one year his senior, attending Nascot Wood Infant & Junior Schools, Watford Grammar School for Boys and West Herts College.
He was interested in becoming a police officer from a young age and was a Hertfordshire Police Cadet between 2004 and 2005. His mother, Caroline, served as a Watford police officer for a year – when Luke joined he took her warrant number, 1938 – and his maternal great-grandfather was a Chief Inspector in the Metropolitan Police.
In 2010, Luke went travelling, living, and working in Australia for a year, returning to the UK and working in various roles, including time at Virgin Media and a spell as a Wetherspoons pub manager before joining policing.
A self-confessed ‘petrolhead’, he loved cars and would travel each year with a group of friends to Nürburgring in Germany, driving their track cars all the way from the UK. He was always busy, planning a change of car, a trip away, going to a gig or getting his next tattoo. He enjoyed entering and training for distance running events, twice completing the London Marathon to raise money for Herts Air Ambulance.
Luke lived for his daughter Amber, who was born in November 2014. He loved nothing more than spending time with her, showing her new things and new places. He would visit Amber’s school in his uniform and she was the proudest child in the class. More recently, he was passing on his love of cars to her, and she was becoming an exceptionally talented little go-kart racer.
Amber unexpectedly passed away in September this year, aged eight. The loss of his beautiful little girl devastated Luke and the whole family. For her funeral, he was determined in planning and executing a beautiful service and party to celebrate her life.
The family have requested donations to a joint memorial fundraiser rather than floral tributes. Donations can be made via Go Fund Me (opens ina new window) and will be shared between two charities, Evelin Allergy Research and Herts Air Ambulance.
Luke will be greatly missed by his loving partner, May – whom he began dating in 2019 while working in the FCR – and his whole family and friends.
He was loved and respected by colleagues and friends across the force, who have been paying tribute to him. He has been described as ‘generous’, ‘thoughtful, funny and kind’, ‘compassionate’ and hailed for having ‘the biggest beard in the FCR, always with a smile beneath it’.
North Herts Chief Inspector Hannah Treadwell said: "Luke was a very popular officer and much-loved colleague in the FCR, and everyone at the constabulary is devastated by his untimely passing. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends."
Constabulary flags were at half-mast today as a mark of respect.
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