The widow of a Cheslyn Hay police officer,who died after he was run over by a lorry, has accepted an out of court settlement totalling £285,000 with the driver.

Claire Hunt, aged 29, launched her own legal action against driver Ian Sigworth after her husband Pc Ryan Hunt was killed in Doncaster in May 2006 while he was on an undercover operation.

Prosecutors had refused to bring legal action against Mr Sigworth but Ms Hunt fought a two-year battle to bring her own private prosecution.

A three-day hearing at Birmingham County Court was cancelled yesterday after solicitors for Mr Sigworth admitted negligence and agreed the cash settlement.

Ms Hunt had previously accepted the driver had never intended to kill her husband but she believed he had a case to answer. She spoke of her relief today that the long legal battle was over.

The nursery nurse added: “It’s not about the money. I feel pleased that they have admitted negligence.

 Ryan was brave and everything he did he did with dignity.”

She said the public needed to recognise how brave police officers were adding: “It’s not just a job, it takes a lot of courage to do what they do.

“Ryan was my husband, he was a son and he was a brother. 

“I am relieved that it is over, the main thing was to clear Ryan’s name. 

“I really wanted to do justice for Ryan, I didn’t want to let him down.” Pc Hunt, a former Cheslyn Hay High School pupil who played for Willenhall Rugby Club, had been working on a joint operation with South Yorkshire Police when the accident happened.

 He died later in hospital. 

Ms Hunt was adamant the driver should have been prosecuted for driving without due care and attention but no criminal proceedings were ever brought.

Ms Hunt’s solicitor Richard Langton added: “This is the end of a long battle. 

“It has taken over two years to get to court. Money was never an issue – it’s accepting that the lorry driver was to blame.”

He said the settlement will give Ms Hunt security in the future and said Pc Hunt would have been pleased to know she will be looked after in the future.”