Next Luncheon

14th September 2026

Richard Venables QPM

Richard Venables Q.P.M.

(Queen’s police Medal)

‘Disaster Detective’

Screenshot

Richard is a retired Detective Inspector from South Yorkshire Police, having served between 1976 and 2006.

He was on duty at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 and following that incident, he was given responsibility for devising protocols for victim recovery and identification after major disasters.

 He became a Police national advisor and trainer in Disaster Victim Identification, gaining experience after being deployed in a number of notable events both in the UK and abroad including the Dunkeswick air crash 1995, Selby Rail crash 2001, Morecambe Bay Cockle Pickers drownings, the Asian Tsunami and the London Bombings.

On retirement he was decorated with the Queen’s Police Medal, for his distinguished service in relation to Disaster Victim Identification. He is a world-renowned expert in the subject.

His auto biography entitled ‘A Life in Death’, was published in 2016 and reached the top 10 in all book sales on Amazon. In 2017, his book also won the prestigious national award, ‘The People’s Book Prize.’