Flood of tributes for long-serving East Kent police sergeant Chris Hughes | Updated: 13:01, 02 February 2021 Tributes have been paid to a "brilliant" police officer who has died after more than two decades on the job. Sergeant Chris Hughes died on January 27 after more than 24 years working for Kent Police. Colleagues of Sgt Hughes have been paying their respects after news of his death. Archive picture He spent his long career on the force's east division, patrolling across the region, including Ashford. Neil Mennie, chairman of the Kent Police Federation (KPF), said: âThis is a tremendous shock for all of us - and especially those who knew and worked with Chris, including myself.