Colin is a retired Police Officer and resident of Lockerbie. He became a Police Officer in 1988, three months before the bombing of Pan Am 103. Colin witnessed the crash itself and was a first responder in the search and recovery operation for the first month following the incident. 

Since 2013, he began to forge close relationships with the Pan Am 103 community, following the selection of his daughter Claire to become a Lockerbie Scholar on the Remembrance programme at Syracuse University.  This was further bolstered when his son Andrew was also awarded the scholarship in 2017-18. To date, he and his wife Judith have hosted over 200 American visitors to Lockerbie, ranging from Syracuse Students and staff, researchers, media and arts projects, and friends and family of those on board Pan Am 103. 

In 2018, Colin, supported by a team of local professionals, cycled from Lockerbie to Syracuse, to mark the 30th anniversary of the bombing of Pan Am 103. This raised funds which helped pay for a mental health counsellor at Lockerbie Academy.

In 2019, Colin was awarded an MBE for his services to Law and Order, Charity and the Remembrance of Pan Am 103, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. His work with relatives has also been recognised by the UK Prime Minister and First Minister of Scotland.