FRIENDS and colleagues of PC Andrew Bramma have laid a wreath at the scene of the accident which claimed his life.

PC Bramma, a married father of two, died when his patrol van hit a tree at West Tanfield near Ripon on Saturday evening.

The 32-year-old had left the Rochdale division of Greater Manchester police four months earlier to join the North Yorkshire force.

PC Bramma was responding to reports of a traffic accident at about 7pm when the accident happened. He was the only person in the van.

About a dozen of his former colleagues, who had travelled from the Greater Manchester area, spent a few moments of silence at the roadside.

Visibly upset, they took it in turns to add to the many poignant tributes around the foot of the tree, including flowers, photographs of the officer and a police helmet.

Other flowers had already been left by his North Yorkshire colleagues, firefighters and his parents.

A single red poppy had also been tied to the tree which read: “RIP 233”.