THE grieving girlfriend of a man killed when he was struck by a police car in east Reading says she has lost her “best friend, soulmate and the love of my life”.

Shanice Medford says she and Aston McLean Williams became “inseparable” after they started dating nine months ago and that she is struggling to come to terms with the “unbearable” pain of her loss.

Mr Williams, who lived with Shanice and her parents in Calcot, was killed in the collision with a marked police 4x4 responding to a 999 call about a burglary in Eastern Avenue at around 1.45am last Wednesday.

Miss Medford said: “He was everything to me. He was my best friend, my soulmate, he was the love of my life. He was amazing in my eyes, he was perfect and we were inseparable.

“He was just so kind at heart. He’d think of everyone else first before himself and he meant so much to all his family and close friends. It was such a shock — I just can’t believe it. It’s devastating and it makes me sick every time I think about it because the pain is unbearable. He was my angel.”

The 22-year-old met Mr Williams, 28, through a family member and they spent years as friends before growing “closer and closer” in the last 12 months.

On the night before the accident she says he left home at around 11.30pm saying he was going to see a friend and would be back at about 2.30am.

Hours later he was killed in the collision in Wokingham Road, which also involved a police officer on foot who was rushed to hospital with minor shoulder injuries and has since been discharged.

In an emotional tribute Aston’s mum Janet Williams described him as a “wonderful dad” to his son Déjàn, 10, and daughter Jodice, four — both from a previous relationship — and pleaded for information about his death.

She said: “Aston was so gentle but strong, always tried his hardest, he was the rock in his family’s lives. Our lives feel empty and will never be the same due to this tragic loss. I pray to God we will receive some justice for this and anyone who has any information will find it in their heart to come forward so we may rest knowing what really happened to Aston.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported me and family. Don’t know where I would be without the support I’ve had.”

Investigators from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) were in Reading on Tuesday searching for clues and say a post mortem has been carried out. They are also set to comb through CCTV footage and the police car’s onboard data recorders during a wide-ranging inquiry into the collision.

Anyone with information should call the IPCC on 0800 092 0340 or email wokinghamroad@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk