SUSSEX Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse has told how he wept over the death of PC Jeff Tooley.

As inquiries continued last night to catch PC Tooley's killer, Mr Whitehouse admitted to the Argus: "Yes, I shed tears and I am likely to be upset again at Jeff's funeral.

"This was a young and dedicated officer who was just doing his job. He was doing what a lot of officers do all the time."

PC Tooley, 26, was mown down by a white F-reg Renault Trafic which was speeding in Brighton Road, Shoreham, on Saturday.

He was dragged 100 yards by the hit-and-run driver, and suffered serious head injuries. He was rushed unconscious to Worthing Hospital and died there the next day.

With reddened eyes, Mr Whitehouse was close to tears again at yesterday's Press conference as the PC's father and brother cried and comforted each other.

The death has hit the chief and all 3,000 police officers in the force hard.

Mr Whitehouse told how PC Tooley had first joined the Volunteer Cadet Corps at Bognor before becoming a fully-fledged officer in 1992.

He served at Brighton but always wanted to join the traffic department.

That ambition was fulfilled in February 1997 and he remained with the unit, based at Shoreham, until his death.

The chief said: "He loved the work he did and the fact he died carrying out basic traffic work - attempting to catch people breaking the law, speeding, which causes accidents and sometimes deaths - indicates his devotion to duty.

"We are very sad to lose him. He was a popular colleague and officers I have spoken to, who are still coming to terms with his death, have said he was such a nice chap.

"They have asked - why did it happen to him?"

The chief was impressed by the way colleagues in the force reacted: "A number came in on their rest days, without being asked, to see what they could do to help.

"It indicates the way we all feel for one another. Nothing was too much trouble."

PC Tooley's father Barry, 51, who flew in from his home in America, said the police were sadly underestimated in this country and urged people to do more to help them.

But Mr Whitehouse said he believed the service was very much appreciated by the majority of people.

He said: "You normally only hear publicly from those with complaints, and very rarely from those who are satisfied.

"Yes, we do get complaints, but we also receive a large number of letters of thanks and appreciation from people for the way our officers took care of them or their relatives."

Supt Jim Hammond, head of the force traffic department, said his entire staff had been "wiped out" by PC Tooley's death.

He said: "He was one of life's really nice people. I've just finished writing up his probationer's report and there are lots of thank yous included from members of the public.

"He was a really caring person who made that little extra effort to help people, taking them home after an accident, making sure that anything that could be done was done.

"When it is one of your staff involved in something like this, it hurts more. I am still working as per normal but, like others here, I am in a daze. We are all wiped out."

Tributes to PC Tooley are flooding in. They include messages from MPs, one from Devon and Cornwall Police, a verbal condolence from a porter at Worthing Hospital and large numbers of flowers.

Supt Hammond said: "Many have come from people who did not know Jeff and we are all touched by their kind sentiments."

Police are treating the death as murder and are appealing for witnesses to call 01273 440055.

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