TRIBUTES have today been paid to a detective who died while taking part in the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough.

DC Rob Davys collapsed during the event yesterday (October 10) and died despite efforts to revive him.

Today, the force flag was flying at half mast at constabulary headquarters at Hinchingbrooke.

Rob, 53, was part of the Fraud and Money Laundering Team based at Chord Park in Godmanchester.

He was due to receive a Judge’s Commendation from the Chief Constable next month for his outstanding work on Operation Sweden, a high-value fraud committed on 83-year-old Cambridge woman Catherine Devas by her carers.

Rob leaves wife Sue and three grown-up children - two sons and a daughter.

Chief Constable Simon Parr said: “I was very saddened to hear of Rob’s death over the weekend and my thoughts go out to his family, friends and colleagues.”

DCI Jon Betts, head of the Economic Crime and the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: “We were very sad to hear of Rob’s death at the Peterborough Great Eastern run. His passing is a great loss on a personal and professional level within our teams. Our thoughts are with Rob’s wife and family at this time.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Mark Birch, head of investigations, said: “Rob was a popular and hard-working officer and it will be a great loss. My thoughts go out to those who were closest to him.”

Rob joined the force in 1992. He became a community beat officer before going into the CID as a DC at Thorpe Wood Police Station.

He left to become a financial investigator in the Economic Crime Unit and in 2007 joined the Fraud and Money Laundering Team as a detective.

Rob and five other officers and police staff received commendations in 2008 for their work on Operation Bramber, an inquiry into a large-scale conspiracy to defraud several companies, including EMAP in Peterborough.

Three people were eventually jailed for offences. Rob received a Chief Constable’s Commendation.

He was due to receive the commendation for his work on Op Sweden on November 17.