Rodney John 'Rod' Leake - Essex Police.
Served from 6th July 1972. Died 20th June 1996.
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 Police
Constable Rodney 'Rod' Leake was born on 1st July 1946. He joined Essex
and Southend-on-Sea Joint Constabulary on 6th July 1972 and was initially
stationed at Basildon. His aptitude for motor transport and driving brought
him to the attention of the Traffic Division and he was subsequently posted
to Chelmsford Traffic.
His particular specialisation was motorcycles. At 11.08am on Thursday,
20th June 1996 he was on routine motorcycle patrol on the B1019 road near
Ulting, known as Doe's Corner, when he was in a collision with a lorry.
He subsequently died from his injuries at Broomfield Hospital. He left
a widow, Joan, and two children, Susan and Michael.
A colleague of Rod's, Police Sergeant Iain Masheder recalled;
"I was a probationer when I first met Rod at Halstead Traffic, on my
Traffic attachment. We soon realised we had much in common, especially
motorcycles, and it was he who encouraged me to apply for Traffic and
in particular motorcycles. So I did. As a result I enjoyed many happy
years of police motorcycling. A career which reached it pinnacle when
I became a motorcycle instructor. I was one of his instructors on his
last course and I would just like to say It was a pleasure and a privilege
to know and ride with such a fine motorcyclist."
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 Police
Constable 1332.
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