A woman whose father and sister, both of them serving police officers, were murdered by the IRA in Derry over 20 years ago has praised Queen Elizabeth's decision to award the George Cross to the RUC.
Ms Lorraine Baggley said her father and sister would have been proud of the award if they had been alive today.
Her father, Bill, was gunned down by an IRA gang while on foot patrol near his home in the Waterside area of Derry in January 1974. Seventeen months later, on June 2nd, 1976, her sister, Linda, was shot dead by the IRA while on foot patrol in the same area.
"I am absolutely delighted that the queen is to honour the RUC with the George Cross," said Ms Baggley. "I can't say enough about the professionalism, the integrity and the caring attitude of the RUC.
"If ever a group of people deserved to be honoured and recognised in this way, it's the RUC. I notice that the last group of people awarded the George Cross were the islanders of Malta for their resistance against the terror of the Nazis.
"They suffered and endured a lot in the fight against terrorism. So, too, have thousands of RUC officers and their families over the last 30 years.
"Not a day passes by without me thinking of my father and of my sister. Today I'll remember them in a special way because of this award," she said.