Lawrence Byford
{{Short description|English police officer (1925–2018)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox person
|honorific-prefix = Sir
|name = Lawrence Byford
|honorific-suffix = {{postnom|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|QPM|DL}}
|image =
|caption =
|office = Chief Inspector of Constabulary
|term = 1983–1987
|predecessor = James Crane
|successor = Richard Barratt
|birthname =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|8|10|df=y}}
|birth_place = Normanton, Yorkshire, England
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|2|10|1925|8|10|df=y}}
|death_place =
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|occupation = Police officer
}}
Sir Lawrence Byford {{postnom|country=GBR|CBE|QPM|DL}} (10 August 1925 – 10 February 2018) was an English police officer who served as Chief Inspector of Constabulary from 1983 to 1987.‘BYFORD, Sir Lawrence’, Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2015; online edn, November 2015 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U9758, accessed 14 May 2016] His inquiry into the failings of the Yorkshire Ripper investigation by West Yorkshire Police earned him the description "the man who changed the face of modern policing" because it "led to fundamental changes in the way serial killer investigations would be carried out in future across the world".{{cite web|url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/tributes-sir-lawrence-byford-man-14288964|title=Tributes to Sir Lawrence Byford the man who changed the face of modern policing|website=Examiner Live|first=Tony|last=Earnshaw|date=14 February 2018|accessdate=25 November 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sir-lawrence-byford-report-into-the-police-handling-of-the-yorkshire-ripper-case|title=Sir Lawrence Byford report into the police handling of the Yorkshire Ripper case.|website=GOV.UK}}
Early life
Byford was born the son of a coal miner in Normanton, West Riding of Yorkshire.{{cite news |last1=Byford |first1=Mark |author1-link=Mark Byford |title=Sir Lawrence Byford obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/18/sir-lawrence-byford-obituary |access-date=24 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=18 February 2018 |language=en}} He left school without any qualifications and became an apprentice electrician at a local pit. In 1944, Byford was conscripted and saw service during the latter months of World War II with the Royal Signals in France, Belgium and Germany.
Career
Byford's police career began in 1947 as a constable with the West Riding Constabulary, where he rose to be the Commander of the Huddersfield Division. He also graduated from the University of Leeds with a law degree in 1956. He left in 1968 to join the senior leadership team of Lincolnshire Police, and was Chief Constable from 1973 to 1977. He was a Regional Inspector of Constabulary from 1978 until his appointment to the top job. In retirement he served as President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1991 to 1999.{{cite web|url=http://yorkshireccc.com/history/past-presidents|title=The Yorkshire County Cricket Club Past Presidents - The Club|website=Yorkshire County Cricket Club}}"Chief Inspector of Constabulary who found glaring errors in the Yorkshire Ripper investigation" The Daily Telegraph Issue no 50,615 p 27 dated Tuesday 13 February 2018
Honours
He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 1974 New Years Honours List. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1979, and was knighted in 1984.{{London Gazette |issue=49696 |date=2 April 1984 |page=1 |supp=y}} He was appointed as the Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of the County of Lincolnshire on 24 November 1987.{{cite web |title=Deputy Lieutenant Commissions LIEUTENANCY OF THE COUNTY OF LINCOLN |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/51197/page/351 |website=The London Gazette |access-date=9 December 2022 |language=en}} He was appointed as the Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of the County of North Yorkshire on 31 March 1998.{{cite web |title=Deputy Lieutenant Commissions LIEUTENANCY OF THE COUNTY OF YORKSHIRE |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/L-55088-499 |website=The London Gazette |access-date=9 December 2022 |language=en}} On 10 August 2000 he was moved to the retired list in both counties upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
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| style="background:silver;" align="center"
|Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| 40px | Knight Bachelor (Kt) | * 1984 New Year Honours List |
| 40px | Order of the British Empire (CBE) | * 1979 New Years Honours List
|
| 40px | Order of St John | |
| 40px | Queen's Police Medal (QPM) | * 1 January 1974
|
| 40px | 1939-45 Star | |
| 40px | France and Germany Star | |
| 40px | War Medal | |
| 40px | Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal |
Personal life
In 1950 he married Muriel Campbell Massey: they had three children, one of whom was Deputy Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation and head of BBC Journalism from 2004 to 2011.{{cite news|first=Neil |last=Midgley |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8057696/BBCs-Mark-Byford-made-redundant.html |title=BBC's Mark Byford made redundant |work=Daily Telegraph |date= 11 October 2010 |accessdate=14 May 2016}} Byford's daughter, Jill, is mother of comedian Maisie Adam.{{Cite web |last=Downey |first=Mike |date=9 June 1999 |title=Once Again, Many Brits Think We've Overdone It |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-09-mn-45626-story.html |access-date=11 February 2020 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
Later life
Byford was President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1990 to 1999; and a Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire from 1992.{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/sir-lawrence-byford-former-hm-inspector-constabulary-1763459|title=Sir Lawrence Byford, former HM Inspector of Constabulary|work=The Yorkshire Post |accessdate=19 September 2020}}
References
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{{s-bef|before=James Crane}}
{{s-ttl|title=HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England, Wales and Northern Ireland |years=1983–1987 }}
{{s-aft|after=Richard Barrett}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byford, Lawrence}}
Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds
Category:British Army personnel of World War II
Category:British Chief Constables
Category:Chief Inspectors of Constabulary (England and Wales)
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Deputy lieutenants of North Yorkshire
Category:Deputy lieutenants of Lincolnshire
Category:People from Normanton, West Yorkshire
Category:Presidents of Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Category:English recipients of the Queen's Police Medal