Tributes to West Midlands Police officer who has lost her six-year cancer battle

Tributes have now been paid to former West Midlands Police officer Julie Skidmore who served in the Black Country during her 30 years with the force, and who lost her six-year battle with ovarian cancer last month.

More than 400 people attended her funeral on Monday. The popular 56-year-old from Walsall was the first woman officer at Saddlers games and was even captured on camera kicking the ball back into play at the old Fellows Park ground.

During her three decades patrolling the beat in Walsall she received a commendation for bravery in 1996 after being threatened with a 14-inch sword while executing a search warrant in Pleck.

She was known to many in the community under her maiden name Dale, having joined the force in August 1976.

The grandmother-of-one was diagnosed with cancer and would regularly travel to Surrey for treatment at the Royal Marsden Hospital.

Even during this and following her retirement she still worked as a civilian at stations including Erdington, Sutton Coldfield and at Lloyd House in Birmingham. She would help set up open days.

Following her diagnosis her family were told she may have up to just two more years left. However, due to her determination and care she managed to prolong her life for several years, seeing her daughter get married and welcoming the birth of her first grandchild Georgy last year. She also managed to visit her favourite place, Salzburg.

Mrs Skidmore, of Pelsall, died last month and leaves behind husband Mark and daughter Danielle, aged 27. Danielle paid tribute to her mother, saying: "She was very bubbly, very infectious and it has hit everyone very hard.

"She lived for everybody else, she would do anything for anybody, she had this amazing smile.

"She remained a Wpc, she never really wanted to climb the ladder, on reflection she always said maybe I should have done it, but she was always involved in the community. She was the first female police officer to police a game down at Fellows Park. She was notorious for being on the touchline and there is a picture of her kicking the football in her uniform.

As a police officer, Mrs Skidmore helped set up Hospital Watch to improve security at Walsall Manor. She was on security duty when boxer Ali was in Birmingham for a promotional event, and one of her biggest highlights was meeting Princess Diana when she visited the hospital's maternity unit in 1991. Danielle said: "When Diana was given flowers she passed them back to her, she called herself Diana's flower girl. She loved it, she was so proud."

Mrs Skidmore and the fundraising in her memory will be featured in the Walsall matchday programme for the weekend's game against Wolves.

The funeral took place at St Peter's Church in Little Aston on Monday with the police force doing a guard of honour.

For more information about the fund in her memory, visit the www.justgiving.com/remember/105725/Julie-Skidmore website.