The policeman victim of gunman Raoul Moat is launching a charity to raise funds for emergency service workers injured while on duty.

PC David Rathband (pictured), who was blinded when he was shot in the face by gunman Raoul Moat as he sat in his patrol car, has set up the Blue Lamp Foundation to support victims of criminal injury and their families.

PC Rathband's attack took place on 4 July, after Moat had shot his ex-girlfriend and killed her new partner. Moat was on the run for six days before dying in a stand-off with the police. 

Having served an 18 week sentence for assaulting a nine year old relative earlier in the year and with a history of violence, Moat reportedly held a grudge against the police who he blamed for the failure of his bouncing business.

Following his attack, PC Rathbone has set up Simple Vision where he can be hired for inspirational speeches and also updates wellwishers, including Dragons Den’s Duncan Bannatyne, on his recovery via a lively twitter account, which boasts over 3,000 followers.

The police officer’s charity website will go live shortly using the tagline ‘united by duty’.

The Charity Commission has confirmed that while it has not yet received a formal application it has been made aware of the intention to set up a charity under the name of the Blue Lamp Foundation.

The Blue Lamp Foundation bears no relation to the Blue Lamp Trust which was set up earlier this month as a community-based charity working with the police to reduce crime in the area of Hampshire.