THE DAUGHTER of a murdered police officer has described her mum as “a hero who paid the ultimate sacrifice”.

PC Sharon Beshenivsky’s youngest child Lydia said she was “too young and innocent” to understand what happened when her mother failed to return home from work to celebrate her fourth birthday on November 18, 2005.

The 38-year-old was shot dead when she interrupted a raid at Universal Express travel agents in Morley Street, Bradford.

On Friday, the mastermind behind the robbery, Piran Ditta Khan, was the seventh and final member of the gang to be sentenced.

In a victim personal statement read at Leeds Crown Court, Lydia Beshenivsky said she had a vague memory of a car arriving at her house during her birthday party and thought it was her mother arriving home.

“I later learned it was the police coming to take my dad away. At that moment I had no idea where he was going.

“It did not concern me at that time as I was too busy playing and eating cake.”

Ms Beshenivsky said she was told by others that she “screamed her head off” after being told that her mother had died, but has no memory of it.

“I remember asking when my mum was coming home and being confused about why she wasn’t coming home to see us,” she said.

“I have little to no memory of my mum. Growing up, I had to rely on my mum’s friends telling me about her and the things she liked to do.

“Even now I have to look at photos to remind me of my mum.”

Ms Beshenivsky said she was proud of her mother for “doing the job she loved”.

She added: “There will always be a void in my life – a void that should have been filled with my mum’s presence but as a result of violent, callous actions by you, Piran Ditta Khan, and your associates that day, you robbed me of a future and precious time with my mum.

“Every birthday is a reminder of what happened that day. It has recently been Mother’s Day, and while my friends are celebrating with their mums, I sadly can never do that.”

Paul Beshenivsky, who had been married to PC Beshenivsky for four years when she died, said telling the children what had happened was “the hardest thing I have ever had to do”.

His statement read: “The way we lost Sharon was in the most brutal, callous and futile way.

“She never came home due to the actions and organisation of one person – Piran Ditta Khan.

“If Piran Ditta Khan had never organised the robbery, Sharon would never have been shot dead and she would have come home that day.”