My friend and colleague Mike Waldren, who has died of post-operative complications aged 69, joined D11, the Metropolitan police firearms wing, in 1977 and in 23 years there rose to become its chief superintendent.
Initially a firearms instructor, team leader, sniper and tactical adviser based at Old Street police station in central London, he also worked at the Purfleet and Lippitts Hill ranges in Essex. Here he trained the 2,000 or so “authorised shots” – the police officers drawn from the uniformed and detective branches of the Met who had applied and been selected for firearms training.
As chief inspector he took charge of all police firearms training; as superintendent, of all police armed operations; as chief superintendent, he was responsible for all police firearms and training in London. He was selected to join the Home Office committee on the police use of firearms, and the Association of Chief Police Officers (now the National Police Chiefs’ Council) committee on firearms. He also set policy for the Met. Few firearms incidents in recent decades were not touched by him in some way.
Mike was born to a retired army captain, Alfred Waldren, and his wife, Hilda (nee Hutson), who owned a childrenswear shop in Pinner, Middlesex. From the age of 11 he boarded at Framlingham college, Suffolk, and on leaving school was apprenticed as an electrical engineer at SGE Signals in Wembley, north-west London. There he met Sue Payton, a draughtswoman. They married in 1966 and made their home in Pinner, where they had a son, Robert.
In 1967 Mike joined the Met and was posted to West Ham, London. The couple initially lived in married quarters before buying a house in Kenton, Middlesex, when he was transferred to Kilburn. When Mike was promoted to the firearms branch he was thrilled. He had started shooting at school and had already represented the Metropolitan Police Athletic Association in clay shooting.
Throughout his police service, Mike made himself available to support and assist police officers being investigated for defending members of the public and colleagues. A keen listener, he would devote himself to helping any colleague who needed advice and guidance.
After 33 years in the police, he retired in 2000. However, those in authority, including government ministers and chief constables, still needed his knowledge and experience and he was immediately re-employed as a consultant.
He is survived by Sue and Robert.
