Lawrence Byford

Sir Lawrence Byford CBE QPM DL (10 August 1925 – 10 February 2018) was Chief Inspector of Constabulary from 1983 to 1987.[1] His inquiry into the failings of the Yorkshire Ripper investigation by West Yorkshire Police earned him the description "the man who changed the face of modern policing" because it "led to fundamental changes in the way serial killer investigations would be carried out in future across the world".[2][3]

Sir Lawrence Byford CBE QPM DL
Born	(1925-08-10)10 August 1925 Normanton, Yorkshire, England
Died	10 February 2018(2018-02-10) (aged 92)
Occupation	Police officer
Office	Chief Inspector of Constabulary
Term	1983–1987
Predecessor	James Crane
Successor	Richard Barratt

Early life

Byford was born the son of a coal miner in Normanton, West Yorkshire. He left school without any qualifications and became an apprentice electrician at a local pit. In 1944, Byford was conscripted and saw service during the latter months of World War II with the Royal Signals in France, Belgium and Germany.[2]

Career

Byford's police career began in 1947 as a constable with the West Riding Constabulary, where he rose to be the Commander of the Huddersfield Division. He also graduated from the University of Leeds with a law degree in 1956.[2] He left in 1968 to join the senior leadership team of Lincolnshire Police, and was Chief Constable from 1973 to 1977. He was a Regional Inspector of Constabulary from 1978 until his appointment to the top job. In retirement he served as President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1991 to 1999.[4] [5]

Awards

He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 1973. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1979, and was knighted in 1984.[6]

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Knight Bachelor (Kt)	1984
	Order of the British Empire (CBE)	1979 Commander Civil Division
	Queen's Police Medal (QPM)	1973
	Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal

Personal life

In 1950 he married Muriel Campbell Massey: they have three children, one of whom was Deputy Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation and head of BBC Journalism from 2004 to 2011.[7]

Later life

Byford was President of Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1990 to 1999;[8] and a Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire from 1992.[9]

References

1. ‘BYFORD, Sir Lawrence’, Who's Who 2016, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2016; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2015 ; online edn, November 2015 accessed 14 May 2016
2. Earnshaw, Tony (14 February 2018). "Tributes to Sir Lawrence Byford the man who changed the face of modern policing". Examiner Live. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
3. Byford Report
4. List Of Yorkshire County Cricket Club Presidents
5. "Chief Inspector of Constabulary who found glaring errors in the Yorkshire Ripper investigation" Daily Telegraph Issue no 50,615 p 27 dated Tuesday 13 February 2018
6. "No. 49696". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 April 1984. p. 1.
7. Neil Midgley "BBC's Mark Byford made redundant", Daily Telegraph, 11 October 2010
8. YCCC web-site
9. Yorkshire Post

Police appointments
Preceded by James Crane	HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary for England, Wales and Northern Ireland 1983–1987	Succeeded by Richard Barrett