A FORMER Middlewich PCSO has paid tribute to his old beat partner, Jill Cope, who died following a brave battle with cancer.

Jill Cope, aged 54, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last year - a condition which affects the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. She passed away at St Luke’s Hospice in Winsford on Monday, August 7.

Mum-of-two Jill had been working as a beat officer in Holmes Chapel, also helping former PCSO Dave Jinks in Middlewich, before falling ill, a job she described as ‘the best she ever had’.

Jill and Dave set the bar for other PCSOs when it came to communicating with the public via social media.

The pair racked up the followers creating a playful hashtag - #CopeyandJinksy – when keeping the community up-to-date on what they had been up to in Middlewich and Holmes Chapel.

Dave said: “It’s a sad loss - she helped a lot of people in the area, she introduced the speed watch scheme and was always around to speak to people and help them with anything.

“We used to be well-known on Twitter as Copey and Jinksy and we made more than 1,000 followers using that hashtag. We had people from all over the world following us, as well as the One Direction official Twitter account. My last hashtag would be #RestinPeaceCopeyfromJinksy. ”

Jill worked tirelessly over the years with pupils from primary and secondary schools to help make the community a happy and safe place to live.

One of Jill’s proudest achievements was joining forces with students from Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School to help raise more than £25,000 for a new skate park to be built in the grounds of the village community centre.

Insp Penny Jones, from Crewe Local Policing Unit, said: “I was Jill’s line manager, colleague and friend for a number of years and she was a huge asset to Cheshire Constabulary.

“She touched many people’s lives through her role as a Police Constable Support Officer and also through her many charity fundraising events. Jill will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”

Insp Mark Gammage added: “Jill’s enthusiasm for life was infectious and it was a privilege to call her my friend.

“Her charity work, both on and off duty, made a huge difference to many people’s lives.

“She will be sorely missed by the many people whose lives she touched and my thoughts are with her family, her children Matt and Lincy of whom she was so proud and her partner Mark at this sad time.”