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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Former police chief Hermon dies | Former police chief Hermon dies |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The former chief constable of the RUC Sir John Hermon has died. | The former chief constable of the RUC Sir John Hermon has died. |
| Sir John, known as Jack, was chief constable between 1980 and 1989. He first joined the force in 1951. | Sir John, known as Jack, was chief constable between 1980 and 1989. He first joined the force in 1951. |
| His wife, Lady Sylvia Hermon, is now the Ulster Unionist Party's only MP. She has held the North Down seat since 2001. | His wife, Lady Sylvia Hermon, is now the Ulster Unionist Party's only MP. She has held the North Down seat since 2001. |
| Sir John had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years. He died in a nursing home in Bangor, County Down, on Thursday evening. | Sir John had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years. He died in a nursing home in Bangor, County Down, on Thursday evening. |
| "It is with enormous sadness that the family of Sir Jack Hermon announce his death, after a long and valiant struggle against the ravages of Alzheimer's," a family statement read. | "It is with enormous sadness that the family of Sir Jack Hermon announce his death, after a long and valiant struggle against the ravages of Alzheimer's," a family statement read. |
| "He passed away very peacefully at teatime yesterday in a nursing home in Bangor. | "He passed away very peacefully at teatime yesterday in a nursing home in Bangor. |
| "Members of his immediate family, including his wife, Sylvia, had been with him throughout the day." | "Members of his immediate family, including his wife, Sylvia, had been with him throughout the day." |
| His period as chief constable was one of the most turbulent periods of the Troubles, including the 1981 republican hunger strikes and probes into the controversial so-called shoot-to-kill allegations made against the RUC. | |
| Former RUC assistant chief constable Alan McQuillan said Sir John was "a huge figure in the history of the RUC". | |
| "Sir Jack was a very energetic and dynamic leader, but when you got to know him you saw he was driven by a total passion for impartial policing, for protecting the community and an immense pride in the men and women who served in the RUC," he said. |