A touching tribute has been paid to a mother-of-three who died after being involved in a crash with an unmarked police car in Royton.
Heather Smedley, 53, died in hospital after the crash on Shaw Road at around 10am. Officers from Greater Manchester Police had been chasing a suspected stolen vehicle prior to crashing with Heather’s car.
Paying tribute to Heather, her family said: "To the most wonderful mother to Benjamin, Olivia and Jamie, daughter to Hilda and Fred, sister, friend, and wife to Damian.
"The world was a much better place with you in it.
"Our mum was the most kind, gentle, beautiful soul inside and out. She faced all of life’s challenges with her beautiful smile, and her bravery and courage never wavered.
"We could not have asked for a better role model growing up, giving everything, she had to all of those she loved, and always supporting those around her.
"She was the glue that held our family together. Her resilience and kindness inspired us all to be better.
"She had the greatest sense of humour and contagious laugh that we will miss every single day.
"You were too good for this world Mum, there will be a hole in our hearts forever."
GMP has referred the incident to the Professional Standards Branch and the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Heather's family have asked for privacy while they grieve for their loss, GMP said.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage should contact GMP quoting incident log 969 of 23/12/2022. Information can be reported online or by using the LiveChat function of the GMP website. If you can't report online, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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