Her face has been splashed across newspapers and flashed across TV screens. Until now Cate Jackson has lived out of the public eye. But her role caring for those whose lives have been devastated by violence has changed all that.

Two years ago the crofter's daughter, who left her native Scotland 30 years ago to join West Yorkshire Police, was promoted to lead the force's 200 family liaison officers - fondly known as FLOs.

Cate, 50, insists she's very much part of a team, but she has worked on some high-profile cases.

I was a cub reporter when I first met Cate some years ago. Her compassion and caring nature was evident then. Then recently I spotted her in a headline-grabbing photograph. There she was, standing proudly with a protective arm around little Lydia Beshenivsky presenting a posy to the Queen during her visit to Bradford.

Cate has been a comfort for five-year-old Lydia, above, whose mother PC Sharon Beshenivsky was shot dead in Bradford in November, 2005.

Being a mother of two teenage daughters, Cate has always been conscious of the dangers of her career, never more so than when she walked into the lives of the Beshenivsky family.

Cate and daughters Sarah, 19, and Alice, 13, were unwrapping fish and chips for tea when the call came that two colleagues had been shot in a robbery at a Bradford travel agents.

"I turned to the girls and both were devastated by it," says Cate. "They knew it was a policewoman with children. They knew I'd be gone for a long time."

Following a silent drive over to Sharon's family home with a colleague, Cate was greeted by the sight of Lydia's unopened birthday presents. The youngster had been waiting to unwrap them with her mum when she returned from her shift that evening.

"When we arrived there were presents on the table and a note saying See you tonight darling," recalls Cate.

Throughout the months ahead Cate was a constant comfort, a dependable support, to Sharon's husband Paul and his family during their darkest hours.

As well as providing care and support, it is the FLO's job to be a constant link between the family and the police, providing answers to the many questions asked. They also glean information to assist with the investigation.

Cate says the role has existed for years and became more official in the aftermath of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry when links between police and families involved in violent crime were strengthened.

"But it's not fluffy bunny stuff," says Cate. "It is investigative, although it is different when you are dealing with the death of a colleague.

"My role was to reassure him (Paul) that he wouldn't be floundering in the dark. We're not taking over but we were there to help with funeral arrangements and anything he needed us to do."

Chaperoning the family during the subsequent trial in Newcastle meant Cate was away from her daughters for three weeks but she remained in constant contact. "She rings us all the time to see if we're okay," says Alice.

The court case is over but Cate hasn't entirely relinquished her role. During our talk she took a call inviting her to a future engagement with the Beshenivskys. And, of course, she accompanied the family on the recent Royal visit.

Cate laughs recalling how the Queen spotted her straight away! She had bestowed her with the Queen's Medal in May, an honour Cate says is usually reserved for higher-ranking officers. "When I went to Buckingham Palace I thought Me a crofter's daughter from the Highlands - how did I get here?'"

After chatting briefly about her visit to the Palace, Cate says the Queen called to the Duke of Edinburgh, addressing him fondly as "Phil", to draw his attention to the lass from the Highlands. Cate says it was like bumping into an old friend. "It was the naturalness of it, it was like She knows me!'" She laughs.

The shooting of Pc Beshenivsky and of Pc Ian Broadhurst, which took place in Leeds on Boxing Day two years previously, are the most poignant cases of Cate's career.

Serving previously with the military police in Northern Ireland, she was used to the reality of dealing with death but she says dealing with the loss of colleagues while trying not to become emotionally attached would test even the toughest police officers.

Arriving for her shift on December 26 2003, Cate had to help pick up the pieces after former US Marine, David Bieber shot traffic officer PC Broadhurst, from Birkenshaw, in the head during a routine check on a stolen car.

"I came into work at 4pm and we were having a giggle about all the rubbish presents we'd got," says Cate. "We were having a pot of tea and a briefing then someone ran in saying two officers had been shot in Leeds. Everyone went into silence then we looked at the computer, the rolling log said two officers had been shot, one was serious. We knew there was an American guy on the run, we were told to wear stab jackets.

"Just before we were about to go out we saw on the log Ian had died. We were devastated. We didn't know him but we didn't have to know him."

Cate was asked to break the news to Ian's wife, Eilisa. "Even after years of training you still think How am I going to put this? What am I going to say?' I let them ask me the questions because it's a lot to take in," says Cate. She recalls that Eilisa's best friend had already broken the news when she arrived. "She was just shaking," says Cate. "This was a girl whose husband had gone off to work, she'd kissed him goodbye. Then she got a knock to say he was dead."

Cate remained by Eilisa's side until her family arrived from their home in Scotland. With both Cate and Eilisa hailing from the Highlands, they developed a rapport. "We both come from big families and have similar values. We hit if off," recalls Cate.

Although Eilisa has since returned to Scotland, the pair still keep in touch. Cate also talks of Ian's parents with great fondness. "They're fantastic people," she says. "But you're very conscious in a normal situation as a FLO that you can't have a relationship with people. It's a professional relationship. You are there to do the best you can for them at their worst time.

"I don't want people to think I don't care about them but they wouldn't want me in their life any longer because it does remind them of a very bad time."

Shoe-horning a career into family life is something most mums do as a matter of course. Cate's daughters come first. Cate's a stickler for organised family life, which means sitting down at the table for meals.

She says: "You're always chasing your tail because your own family is equally as important as the families you're dealing with."

She has been known to scour supermarket shelves in the small hours to ensure that there's food on the table!

"My children understand the importance of it (work). When I'm not at work all my time is with them. You have to balance it, a lot of FLOs are the same."

When asked to write a school assignment about the person who inspires her the most, Alice wrote about her mum. It reads: "My mum is always serving others. Her speciality mainly being the victims of violent crime. Her caring, kind and dedicated attitude to justice and always treating other people well has passed on to me and Sarah."

Says Cate: "I cried when I read it. You feel so humble when your children look up to you. But I am lucky. My girls have never been demanding, it's the way we've brought them up."

In July Cate retires from the force but she won't be leaving entirely, as she will be assigned to the Coroner's office.

"I didn't seek fame or fortune. It's my job and I'm expected to do it. I came from the old school where you did what you were told," she says. "I do my job properly and conscientiously and I'm honest. That is what the public expects because you are in a position of trust.

"And," she adds "I've met some cracking folk. It's guiding people on the right path through their trauma."