John Giffard (police officer)

Adopted into an aristocratic family that owns Chillington Hall, he joined Staffordshire Police in 1973 as a beat bobby.

Giffard also served on secondment to the Home Office to assist with a review into options to merge police forces in England and Wales.

His work was recognised with the award of the Queen's Police Medal and appointment as a commander of the Order of the British Empire.

[2] The Giffard family have occupied Chillington Hall since 1178 and trace their lineage back to William of Gifford, a Norman knight that Professor Frank McLynn states was one of the men to kill Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

In 1991 he was divisional commander at Cannock and later that year transferred to the North Yorkshire Police to become an assistant chief constable.

In this role Giffard oversaw the reorganisation of the force's territorial divisions and, in 2003, introduced a Major Investigations Department.

[1] Giffard was appointed a commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2003 New Year Honours for services to the police.

[13] In retirement Giffard installed a memorial fountain in the grounds of the hall to commemorate Staffordshire Police officers who have died in service.

The memorial sits in a newly planted wood with views across Western Staffordshire, with visits by arrangement with the hall.