THE widow of a West Midlands Police dog handler who died on duty in 1987 is still hoping for a successful conclusion to her campaign for lifelong pensions for all police widows after a judge rejected a legal challenge on existing pension regulations.

Kate Hall is among a group of widows, widowers and civil partners demanding changes to the regulations which mean survivors of officers in the 1987 Police Pension Scheme are forced to forfeit their pensions if they chose to re-marry or co-habit with a partner.

Mr Justice Fordham dismissed the claims after several days of legal argument at Manchester Administrative Court last month but did grant permission to appeal on two grounds: the application of the right to marry and his decision on justification.

Kate described the latest setback as “devastating” but urged supporters to prepare for the next round of the battle in the courts.

She said: “Having read the judge’s comments and ploughed my way through his judgement, I was relieved to see that there has always been a realistic prospect that our campaign would be successful.

“I would not have started our campaign if I hadn’t believed this to be the case, but I can sleep easier now.

“The ruling was devastating for us all. But for now, we need to take a breath and be happy that we are getting a second chance at justice.”

Under current rules, widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in receipt of an ordinary survivors’ pension are often face a choice between companionship in later life and keeping their financial support.

Kate’s husband, PC Colin Hall, was a police dog handler and served with the West Midlands Police for 21 years.

On Sunday November 29 1987, he was dispatched with colleagues to tackle a disturbance at a block of flats and, having dealt with the incident, he suffered a heart attack and died at the scene, aged just 40. Kate was 24 at the time with a four-year-old daughter.

She began her campaign in June 2014 calling for a UK-wide policy on survivors’ pensions which would see those who remarry or cohabit after losing their spouse retain their pension entitlement in full regardless of how their spouse died. Her campaign also calls for reinstatement of pensions revoked due to remarriage or cohabitation. Kate’s campaign has already achieved an amendment to the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 which came into force in January 2016.

Widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers killed in the line of duty and covered by the 1987 Police Pension Regulations now receive their pensions for life if they were receiving special or augmented pension and remained unmarried and were not living with a partner by April 1 2015.

The campaign is being backed by the Police Federation of England and Wales and National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO) and the National Executive Committee of NARPO has decided to lodge an appeal which its legal team is progressing.

NARPO president Richard Critchley said: “No one should have to choose between financial security or isolation, it’s an impossible decision.

“We welcome the judge taking the unusual step of giving leave to appeal and setting out the direction and grounds for appeal. We now have to consider how we will take this forward.”