Police helicopters 'bow' in honour of PC Keith Palmer at his funeral

Salute: The Met police helicopters bowed their noses as Keith Palmer was brought to the cathedral
Chloe Chaplain10 April 2017

Police helicopters performed a 'bow' in formation in tribute to PC Keith Palmer as his coffin was carried to Southwark Cathedral.

Shortly before the service commenced at Southwark Cathedral, two NPAS helicopters conduced a fly past over the procession.

The helicopters created the ‘missing man formation’ salute – traditionally performed at funerals and memorials – and one performed the ‘bow’ salute over the cathedral.

Salute: The helicopters hovered over the cathedral
Metropolitan Police

The helicopters coordinated with police boats - joined by London Fire Brigade vessels, the Port of London Authority and lifeboats - taking part in a river procession.

As the funeral procession made its way over Lambeth Bridge, boats from the Marine Policing Unit led a ten-second horn salute.

Killed: PC Keith Palmer
Metropolitan Police

Two of the boats were ones named after police officers killed in the line of duty – PC Nina MacKay who was stabbed in 1997 and PC Gabriel Franks who was shot during a riot in 1798.

Salute: The police boats joined into an arrow shape
Metropolitan Police

They created an arrow formation at Lambeth Bridge as the coffin passed overhead.

Procession: Thousands of officers lined the streets of London
Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

More than 5,000 police officers lined the route as the coffin of 48-year-old PC Palmer was taken from a chapel at the Palace of Westminster in the "full-force" funeral.

His body was taken to lay in rest there on Sunday after special permission from the Queen.

PC Keith Palmer Funeral - In pictures

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The Met police officer died after being stabbed by Khalid Masood as he tried to stop the terrorist – who had mown down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge – from storming into Parliament.

Procession: The helicopters escorted the funeral procession
BBC News

PC Palmer was one of five innocent people killed in the attack before Masood was shot dead.

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