Family mourns Phillip's death

TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Sevenoaks travel agent killed as he diverted traffic.

Phillip Pratt, 26, trained as a travel agent in the town before joining Kent Police.

He was putting out cones on the A249, to divert traffic away from an earlier incident on the road, when he was in collision with a grey Peugeot 206.

Since his death, on Sunday June 14, friends family and colleagues have been paying tribute to the constable.

Mum Chris Pratt said: "Some people make a mark on the world by the way they live and the difference they make to those whose lives they touch, and Phill was just such a person. He was a larger-than-life character."

Sister Julia added: "He died protecting others. We are all very proud of him."

Phillip lived with his fiancée, Debbie O'Neill, and her two sons Danny, 14, and Liam, 10, in Hempsted.

Debbie said: "Phill had a very naughty sense of humour, and was well-known for his pranks.

"One of the biggest parts of his personality was his ability to make everybody laugh all the time. He was one of the funniest people I have ever met in my life.

"There was always a point of each and every day that he would have me laughing so hard that my sides hurt.

"He was spontaneous and he enjoyed bringing a smile to people's faces."

Kent Police launched a witness appeal after the collision and investigating officers are asking anyone who saw the incident, or events leading up to it, to get in touch.

Chief Insp Tony Henley, the borough commander for Swale, said: "This incident is of course particularly pertinent to myself and my colleagues as it involves the tragic loss of one our officers whilst on duty.

"It is however a fatal road traffic crash and therefore, like any other, it is being fully investigated by Kent Police."

Praising his colleague, he added: "Pc Pratt was a well-respected officer who worked as both special constable and a police staff employee within the Force Communications Centre before becoming a regular officer.

"He was an enthusiastic and popular member of the mid-Kent policing team and there has been an immense feeling of loss and great sadness about his death, not only in his station, Sheerness, but within Kent Police and the national policing family."

Anyone with information about the incident can contact Kent Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) on 01622 798538.