Two decades after her tragic death in the line of duty, murdered police officer PC Sharon Beshenivsky has finally received a proper headstone at her gravesite, bringing closure to a long-standing family dispute that left her resting place marked by nothing more than a rotting wooden cross for years.
A Hero's Resting Place Transformed
For nearly twenty years, the grave of PC Sharon Beshenivsky in Nab Wood Cemetery, Shipley, stood with only a weathered, decaying wooden marker bearing a tarnished plaque. The makeshift memorial stood in stark contrast to the sacrifice made by the 38-year-old officer, who was fatally shot while responding to a robbery at Universal Express travel agents in Bradford on November 18, 2005.
The transformation came just before the 20th anniversary of her death, when a elegant black marble headstone mysteriously appeared, bearing the touching inscription: "In loving memory of Sharon Beshenivsky. 4.01.1967 - 18.11.2005, A beloved daughter, wife and mum. If love could have kept you here you would have been with us forever."
Years of Family Heartache
The absence of a proper memorial had caused significant distress to Sharon's mother, Jenny Booth, now 79, who had repeatedly expressed her pain over the situation. For years, she pleaded with her son-in-law, landscape gardener Paul Beshenivsky, to erect a headstone, but as she was legally unable to do so herself, her requests went unheeded.
Paul Beshenivsky had previously responded to calls for a headstone by saying he "couldn't find the words" and would not be "bullied" into action. This led to a painful family feud that persisted until recently, with Jenny Booth expressing her frustration a decade ago: "It's been ten years and it's a disgrace. I've been going on about this for ten years, but Paul still hasn't put a stone there. How long is it going to take?"
The breakthrough appears to have come following the final resolution of her murder case, when Paul Beshenivsky stated after the last killer was jailed: "It's opened my eyes to the anger I was carrying for not putting a headstone on her grave. Now this is all finished it's time to release the anger. I want to get rid of the resentments."
The Tragic Day That Shook Britain
PC Sharon Beshenivsky's story remains one of the most poignant in British policing history. She was not long out of training when she and her colleague PC Teresa Milburn responded to a silent alarm activated during a botched robbery at the travel agents in Bradford.
Both officers were unarmed when they approached the building. As they arrived, one of the three robbers emerged from the door and shot them at point-blank range. PC Beshenivsky was killed instantly, while PC Milburn was seriously wounded but survived.
The tragedy was compounded by the fact that November 18, 2005 was her daughter's fourth birthday, making the officer's death particularly heartbreaking for her family and the nation.
PC Milburn later described the horrifying moments to the court: "We offered them no force, we did not have time to draw our batons or CS gas and we were otherwise unarmed. We didn't have a chance. There was no warning, no indication that he had a gun, it was just 'bang bang'. Sharon stopped in terror."
Justice Finally Served
The mastermind behind the robbery, Piran Ditta Khan, was the final member of the gang to face justice. Khan had evaded capture for nearly two decades after fleeing to Pakistan just two months after the murder, leaving behind his business, wife and six children in the UK.
Following diplomatic pressure from the British government, Khan was arrested in Pakistan in January 2020 and extradited to the UK. In April 2024, he was convicted of murder and jailed for life, becoming the seventh and final man involved in the robbery to be brought to justice.
Khan died in HMP Wakefield aged 76 on February 21, 2025, just ten months after his conviction, bringing a definitive end to the legal proceedings surrounding PC Beshenivsky's murder.
Lasting Legacy and Remembrance
As the 20th anniversary of her death approached, West Yorkshire Police's Chief Constable John Robins paid tribute to the fallen officer, stating: "Sharon made the ultimate sacrifice whilst protecting the public on that fateful day in Bradford 20 years ago. She was just doing her job, serving the public of Bradford when she was murdered in the street."
PC Sharon Beshenivsky became the seventh serving female police officer to be killed in the line of duty in Britain. Her death continues to serve as a stark reminder of the risks police officers face daily while protecting their communities.
The new headstone now stands as a permanent, dignified memorial to her sacrifice, featuring an additional smaller sign that reads: 'Sharon Beshenivsky who gave her life for her country. Now in heaven protecting the angels. Will always be loved and missed' alongside a little angel and heart ornament engraved with the words 'Whisper my name in your heart and I will be there.'
While the only official memorial erected by West Yorkshire Police remains in Norfolk Gardens, Bradford, the new headstone at her gravesite finally provides the family with a proper place to remember and honour their hero in private, bringing a measure of peace after two decades of pain and unresolved grief.
