A former top policeman who excelled on the race walking circuit has died.

John Hedgethorne, 68, went upstairs at his home in Halstead Road, Colchester, and suffered a stroke when he reached the top.

He fell backwards, fracturing his skull when his head hit the wall.

His widow Elizabeth said he was taken to Colchester General Hospital, but his life support machine was switched off the following day.

Only two weeks before he had taken part in a race and had been due to do another one a week before he died. But he had cancelled because he had a chilblain and could not get his running shoes on comfortably.

Mrs Hedgethorne said her husband was a fit and active man. "He was on the go all the time. He just couldn't sit still."

Mr Hedgethorne was a chief inspector when he retired in 1986 after 30 years with Essex Police, starting and finishing his career in Colchester.

During this time he started and edited The Law, the police newspaper, and was commandant at the police cadet training school at police headquarters, Chelmsford.

He was a member of the Colchester marathon organising committee and of Colchester Athletic Club. He had been in athletics since 1947 and took up race walking in his late 30s after a knee injury forced him to give up running.

His wife said he and some colleagues took part in the Metropolitan Police Barking to Southend race for fun. He was hooked and had continued to walk ever since.

Mr Hedgethorne was a member of Anglia Striders, a specialist road walking club, but he left to start a section at Colchester Athletics Club.

For many years he was involved in promoting the town's marathon and half-marathon and fun run. In 1969 he won the Bristol 100-mile race and a place in the Great Britain team.

He is survived by his widow, daughter, two grand-daughters and a great grand-daughter. No date has been fixed for the funeral.

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