The heartbroken brother of a policeman who served the public for 27 years before he was killed in a motorbike crash on his way home from work has told of his “honour” at standing “shoulder to shoulder” with him in an emotional family tribute.

PC Kevin Flint, based at Chesham Police Station, was travelling home to Tring along the A41 after work when his motorbike was involved in a crash with a stationary vehicle on January 15.

In a family tribute to the officer, the 52-year-old’s brother Derek, an ambulance officer with South Central Ambulance Service and a Special Inspector with Thames Valley Police, said PC Flint was an “old school copper”.

He said: “He was a real people person. He got ultimate respect from his colleagues and the community and obviously made a lot of friends along the way.

“Sometimes I would work alongside Kevin in both my roles and I did that with great pride. It was a real honour to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.”

PC Flint, a father-of-two and a “passionate and highly experienced” motorcyclist, was just three years away from retirement and was looking forward to moving to Wales with his partner Lynn McGill.

Ms McGill said: “His passion was to be with the local community where he could work face to face talking to the public and making a positive difference in people’s lives.”

Although PC Flint had been a police officer for almost 30 years, he spent his early working life as an engineer.

He completed an apprenticeship after leaving The Grange School in Aylesbury and went on to work at local firms, Electro Power Gears, Redifon and then Martin Baker, which specialises in ejection seats.

Later, in 1992, he joined Thames Valley Police, beginning his career in Chesham.

He spent most of his time at Chesham but was also based in Prestwood, Amersham and Taplow for periods of time.

PC Flint spent some time training as a firearms officer however, he decided he wanted to return to Chesham to neighbourhood policing as a police constable where he could work directly with the local community he loved.

He also came in the top three per cent of the country in his sergeant exam.

His engineering background meant he could turn his hand to many things including fixing cars and motorbikes.

“He was always helping people with jobs,” added Derek. “He was Mr Active, he couldn’t sit still.”

Kevin’s first passion was motorbikes, which began when he and Derek were given a Honda C90 as teenagers. He went on to buy his own Honda 125 Super Dream when he was around 17-years-old.

From that time Kevin always owned at least one motorbike, often fixing them up himself, and even rode his Honda Gold Wing to Switzerland.

In his spare time, Kevin also enjoyed taking his Aveling and Porter Steam Roller to rallies across the country.

He was also a founding member of the Bucks British and Classic Motorcycle Club and had an interest in classic cars.

Kevin rebuilt his Jaguar XJ6 and also loved driving his Alfa Romeo 164 which he planned to drive with Lynn to Italy to visit the Alfa Romeo museum.

Paula Caudrey, Kevin’s estranged wife, said: “Although we were separated for some time we had known one another since childhood having met through the Vale of Aylesbury Model Engineers Society in Quainton.

“Kevin volunteered his time for many years in helping create the narrow gauge railway and it will be a fitting tribute that this will be his final resting place.”

His funeral will be held at Amersham Crematorium on Thursday, February 7, at 3.15pm.

PC Flint’s family are being supported by specialist officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit while an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash is ongoing.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the crash should email james.thorne@cambs.pnn.police.uk, call 101 quoting ISR 517 of January 15, or report information online at www.herts.police.uk/Report.