Royal award for Lanimer cop

A police officer often given the role of escorting Lanark's successive Lanimer queens to their crownings each year was back on royal duties again last week '“ only this time constable Gordon Trayner was in the company of the real Queen.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Jul 2017, 08:15 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2017, 08:58 BST
Police constable George Trayner.Police constable George Trayner.
Police constable George Trayner.

The veteran officer was at Holyrood Palace to be given the Queen’s Police Medal he had been awarded in the new year’s honours list by the monarch herself.

It was a particularly proud moment for George as his award was not only a personal honour but marked a new chapter in his profession’s history as he was the first officer of the rank of constable in Police Scotland ever to have received the medal since the new national force’s formation.

He will be a familiar face to many Gazette readers.

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Before he embarked on a police career in 1991, George was a qualified dental technician and worked at the Lanark High Street dental practice of Brown, Scott and McNab.

With over a quarter of century of service behind him, he is currently based in Glasgow with the Police Scotland national motorcycle unit, and he has led the police escort for the Lanimer queen and court’s cars on Lanimer day on several occasions.

However, it was not for his current role that he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal but for acting as a family liaison officer, performing the difficult duty of assisting the loved ones of victims of crime, accidents and disasters to cope following bereavements.

His expertise has been called on in that harrowing task nationwide, a service recognised by the award of the medal.

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Prior to his assignment to the motocycle unit, George served with the traffic department based at Motherwell and his role at that time included patrolling and responding to calls in Lanark and the surrounding area.

He told the Gazette this week that he was both delighted and honoured to have been awarded such a coveted medal, especially given he was the first officer of his rank in Police Scotland to receive it.

He says he has many happy memories of working in Lanark, especially on Lanimer duties.

Married with two children, George now lives in the Larkhall area, and his hobbies include kayaking on the Clyde and cycling and walking though the local countryside.

His wife and youngest daughterare members of Lanark Triathlon Club.

Related topics:QueenPolice Scotland