Raymond Codling was born on 5 January 1940 in Yorkshire. He served in the
Royal Navy, resigning with the rank of
Petty Officer, and joined the
Metropolitan Police. In the 1970s, he transferred to
Greater Manchester Police. On 14 September 1989, Codling, aged 49, together with
Sergeant James Bowden, 45, stopped at Birch motorway services on the
M62, looking for a white van. They approached a motorcyclist, later identified as Anthony Hughes, who produced a
pistol and began firing at the officers. A shot aimed at Sergeant Bowden caused no injury, but two subsequent shots hit and killed Inspector Codling. A manhunt for Hughes, who had previous convictions for serious offences including robbery and rape, ended at a garage in
Kendray, South Yorkshire, where Hughes had killed himself. ==See also==