A POLICE officer has launched a petition to vaccinate all emergency service workers within a month after her colleague died of coronavirus.

PC Jon Wain died on Monday, aged 49, after a battle with Covid-19 - leaving behind a partner and two sons.

He joined Greater Manchester Police in December 2003 and was based at Bury as part of the response team.

Now, Shelley Kay - who says she is a colleague and friend of Jon - has launched a petition on Change.org to ensure that no one else has to 'pay the ultimate price'.

She said: "All police officers need to be protected and shown respect by this Government, by being prioritised now.

"We all accept the danger of the job, but this is on a different level that none of us signed up for.

"By not providing police and all other emergency service personnel with this vaccine, we are being sent to our deaths."

The petition has so far garnered more than 75,000 signatures in two days.

It comes as the Government announced that it still wants to prioritise the vaccine rollout based on age rather than work-related vulnerabilities.

She added: "As a Police Officer we deal with people daily, in face to face situations.

"Sometimes we have to get hands on, and this totally breaches that two metre rule.

"In doing so, some are less than happy to have the bracelets applied and like to struggle.

"This means we are assaulted in many forms - the worst being spat at and bitten at this present time."

"This petition is done in memory of my friend Jon, who paid the ultimate price - the police has a huge gaping hole right now.

Greater Manchester Police have declined to comment on the petition.