11:26am Tuesday 3rd August 2004
By Local London Reporter
A young policewoman has been found dead in the basement of a central London police station, Scotland Yard has confirmed.
Amoreena Adams, known as Amy, was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head at Territorial Policing HQ building, Canon Row, on Victoria Embankment. A police Glock 9mm self-loading pistol was found by her body.
A Met police spokesperson said two notes from Amy had been found in her belongings, and the death was being treated as "suspected suicide".
Amy's mother, Jacqueline, yesterday spoke of her anguish at the loss of her "loving" daughter who was, she said, incredibly committed to the police service.
"She will be sadly missed. We are struggling to come to terms with this tragedy and would ask for privacy to allow us to grieve at the moment," she said.
Amy worked in the armoury at Canon Row for the Met's Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG), codenamed SO19. She joined the Met in September 1994 and served in Barnet before moving to the DPG in 2001.
Commander Peter Loughborough, head of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Group was "deeply distressed" by events.
"The death of a colleague in such circumstances affects us all, but our thoughts must go particularly to Amy's family, to those who knew her best, and to those for whom the bonds of affection were most strong. We will do all we can to support them," he said.
A full investigation of the circumstances of Amy's death has been opened by Acting Detective Chief Inspector Michael Broster.
A post-mortem examination has been scheduled for Tuesday 3 August at St Pancras Mortuary at 5pm. A Coroner's inquest will be opened and adjourned in due course.
"At this stage it would be inappropriate to discuss in detail the circumstances surrounding the death pending the Coroner's inquest," Scotland Yard's spokesperson said.
Counselling for officers involved in the incident and for PC Adams's colleagues is being made available by the Met's Occupational Health Department.
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