Pc Andrew Harper’s widow to be made an MBE for campaigning work

Lissie Harper has been recognised for her services to victims of violent crime and their families.

Lissie Harper lost her husband just before their honeymoon in August 2019 (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Archive)

The widow of police officer Andrew Harper, who was killed doing his job, will be made an MBE at Windsor Castle after campaigning for stronger laws in his memory.

Lissie Harper has been recognised for her services to victims of violent crime and their families.

She successfully campaigned for Harper’s Law, which has extended mandatory life sentences to anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty.

Andrew Harper, who worked for Thames Valley Police, was killed while responding to a bike theft by three teenagers in Berkshire in August 2019.

He was caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a winding country road, just four weeks after getting married.

The law was proposed by Mrs Harper to the Government in reaction to the prison sentences handed to the three teenagers responsible for his death.

Henry Long, 19, was sentenced to 16 years and 18-year-olds Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were handed 13 years in custody for manslaughter at the Old Bailey, but all three were cleared of murder by the jury.

Harper’s Law came into effect last June, and applies to police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Actress Vicky McClure and politician Michael Fabricant are among the other notable names to be recognised at the event.

McClure, best known for playing Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC series Line Of Duty, will be made an MBE for her services to drama and charity.

The 40-year-old first rose to prominence playing the cool and easy-going Lol Jenkins in the 2006 film This Is England and its subsequent TV follow-up series.

She was nominated for a Bafta Television award for best supporting actress in 2015, and a National Television Award for drama performance in 2021.

McClure has been an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society since 2018 and has raised awareness around the disease through her creation of Our Dementia Choir.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant will become a knight after being named on former prime minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours lists.

Sir Michael, 73, has been an MP for more than 30 years and won his Lichfield constituency by a majority of more than 23,000 at the 2019 general election.

He served as the vice chair of the party between 2012 and 2014.

On Monday Sir Michael said he would be voting for the Government’s controversial Rwanda Bill, indicating he would push for changes as the legislation passed through the Commons.