POLICE officers who helped bereaved British relatives cope with the traumatic sights of Ground Zero, in New York, left behind a memorial to the emergency service workers who died.

A Cleveland Police helmet now sits among the mounds of floral tributes to firefighters and police officers killed in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack. It was left by Detective Constable Stuart Hopson, Sergeant Sarah Harding and PC Jacqui Fleet during a memorial service for the victims.

All three are trained family liaison officers who volunteered for a tour of duty to escort relatives of the British who died and help New York Police carry out inquiries into missing Britons.

Sgt Harding said: "It was very emotional. You've seen the pictures but being at the site next to someone who has had a family member killed is something completely different. The area of devastation is about the size of the Cleveland Centre, but it is when you look up to see where the buildings were, you realise the scale of the disaster."

The service was co-ordinated by the American Red Cross, who gave everyone attending a bunch of flowers and a teddy bear.

"The idea of the bears is so you have something to hold," said Sgt Harding.

"People had the choice of laying tributes on one of two sites, one for the emergency services and the other for civilians.

"Most people, including us, kept the teddy bears and left the flowers."

Detective Superintendent Brian Dunn, who co-ordinates the work of the family liaison officers, said it was a unique experience for the trio.

"British police lead the world in helping the relatives of victims cope with such trauma.