Pc's path is on 100-mile tribute run

A POLICE officer is to complete a non-stop 100-mile run in memory of his colleague, who died of a heart attack aged 34.

Donald Kettrick, 42, a constable at Bonnyrigg Police Station, will run along the canal towpath from Wester Hailes to Glasgow and back in memory of his friend Pc Martin Barber, who died last year.

He will be raising money for The Mark Wright Project, set up in memory of the fallen paratrooper by his parents to support returning soldiers.

The run comes a year after Mr Kettrick completed a 53-mile run for veterans' charity Erskine, with Mr Barber accompanying him by bike. Mr Barber had planned to join him on his latest challenge.

Mr Barber, from Gilmerton, died in April while caravanning in the Lake District with his then three-year-old son Alex.

His widow Elke, 35, said: "He just had a heart attack. I'd had another baby, Olivia, who was 11 months old, so we were going to have a girls' weekend and a boys' weekend. I'd spoken to him at nine in the morning and he said, 'We'll be back by lunchtime', and two and a half hours later he was dead."

When his father suffered chest pains, Alex went to get help from neighbours, but despite the best efforts of paramedics, Mr Barber died at the scene.

Mrs Barber said the family were still learning to cope with their loss. She said: "I was quite emotional when they said they'd do the run in his memory. When I read his sponsorship page which talked about Martin, I cried."

Mr Kettrick said of his friend's death: "It was quite a shock – he didn't have any health problems. He cycled regularly to work. He was a gentle giant, really outgoing and a good laugh. He is missed." He said he hoped to do the "Ton on the Towpath" challenge in 24 hours or less.

Bob Wright, father of Cpl Mark Wright, established the centre with his wife Jem following the death of their 27-year-old son in a minefield in Afghanistan. It offers emotional and social support to those returning from war. Mr Wright said: "Money seems to be coming in thick and fast now from different things and everything is very gratefully received and appreciated. We're very impressed with the effort they're making."

Mr Kettrick will be accompanied by friend Mark Rankin, who also took part in last year's challenge. They will set off from Wester Hailes police station at 2pm on 27 March.

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