POLICE officers are to take part in a charity cycle ride to honour those colleagues who fell in the line of duty and provide support for their families.

Officers from West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police are taking part in the UK Police Unity Tour (UK PUT) national cycle ride which begins tomorrow (Friday).

The ride honours the service and sacrifice of fallen UK police officers.

ACC Amanda Blakeman and Sgt Laura Wright will join more than 30 police officers and staff who form the East Midlands chapter of the tour.

They will cycle 180 miles in remembrance of colleagues across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire who lost their lives while serving their communities.

Having already raised £10,000, the team is hoping to raise more than £12,000 for the Care of Police Survivors (COPS)charity.

COPS is a charity that supports the families of officers who have died in the line of duty.

They ensure that survivors have all the help they need to cope with such tragedies and they remain as part of the police family.

The team will start their ride at Leicestershire Police's force headquarters in Enderby on Friday (July 29) and cycle to a memorial service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, on Sunday, July 31.

Each rider will be wearing a blue metal wrist band with the name of a fallen colleague they will be cycling in honour of.

At the memorial service riders will meet with the deceased officers' families and give them the wrist bands.

ACC Amanda Blakeman said: "Laura and I are riding for COPS because it is important to remember those who have lost their lives serving their communities.

"We will be riding for our friend and colleague PC442 Tony Wright who tragically lost his life while on duty in August 2011.

"Tony was a keen cyclist having completed the London To Paris cycle ride for charity "

You can follow @PoliceTour on Twitter for updates during the cycle ride.

If you would like to donate you can do so at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Laura-Wright-Amanda-Blakeman