Sir Hugh Orde has paid a special tribute to the widow of the first PSNI officer killed by paramilitaries just weeks before he is to vacate the force’s top position.

The outgoing Chief Constable of Northern Ireland met up with Kate Carroll at a private location to present her with a book of condolences for her late husband on behalf of police colleagues.

Co Down man Stephen Carroll was shot dead in the line of duty by Continuity IRA gunmen five months ago, after being called to investigate suspicious activity in Craigavon.

Days later, during an impromptu and emotional speech at the 48-year-old’s funeral, Sir Hugh promised that the murdered officer would never be forgotten — something his widow said she now truly believes.

“He said he wanted to see me before he went away, just to see how I was getting on,” she told the Belfast Telegraph. “We spent over an hour chatting about different things. He said he really enjoyed working here and that he’ll be sad to go.”

PC Carroll had been planning a career outside the police when he was killed, and was studying part-time for a degree in sport science.

It fell upon his 58-year-old wife and son Shane (37) to accept a posthumous award on his behalf at Manchester Metropolitan University last weekend.

Kate, a school domestic, said Sir Hugh — who leaves the province’s top police job in September — praised her late husband’s academic endeavours.

“The Chief Constable told me he had been given an honorary university degree last year and that Steve really deserved his because he had worked so hard for it,” said the grandmother-of-four.

“He also brought me a copy of a Manchester newspaper that had run a story about Steve’s graduation, which I thought was a lovely gesture.

“After everything that has happened, it’s good for Steve to get a little recognition for what he has done. It’s just a pity he couldn’t lift the degree himself.”

At the MMU ceremony Kate learned her husband’s hero, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson — who sent a letter of condolence to the Carroll family following Stephen’s death — had been honoured in the same hall just the previous week.

“Steve would’ve been delighted to know he would’ve been on the same stage as Sir Alex,” she explained.

“He was a fanatical fan — like me, our son Shane, our grandchildren and Steve’s brother Martin.”

Now that Kate has brought Stephen’s degree back home, she said she will update her late husband’s memoirs.