Family and colleagues laid flowers in memory of PC Gary Veal at the spot where he was involved in a tragic accident.

Traffic was slowed on the A12 Colchester northern bypass yesterday as the floral tributes were laid for the father-of-two at about midday.

PC Veal's wife Tina, and colleagues from the Stanway traffic policing unit, were among the mourners at the scene.

A police investigation is under way into how PC Veal, 36, was killed in an accident on Saturday as he laid out cones and portable lights near a broken down car.

The Essex Police Federation today asked Essex Police for a full health and safety investigation into the accident to make sure the procedure for traffic accidents is correct.

Chairman Sue Kelly said: "This is a case of a police officer being killed while at work doing his job.

"There should be a health and safety investigation, as well as a police investigation, into the accident.

"We need to ask questions such as 'Was the equipment right?' and 'Was the training for dealing with traffic accidents right?'

"If these things were correct then fine but until those questions are posed we just don't know.

"If they are not right then the system does need to be looked at."

Sgt Iain Masheder, a colleague at the northern road policing unit in Stanway, said the unit was still coming to terms with their grief.

"We are all still shocked by what has happened and it has hit some people very hard," he said.

"We are trying to get on with it as best we can."

An Essex Police spokesman said: "David Stevens, Essex Police chief constable, will be considering the request for an internal health and safety investigation."

Published Tuesday January 15, 2002