Black and Blue
'Inspiring... Important' Observer
'A page-turner which everyone who cares about policing and justice in Britain should read.' Meera Syal
At the point of her retirement from the Metropolitan Police Service in 2019, Parm Sandhu was the most senior BAME woman in the capital's police force. She was also the only non-white female to have been promoted through the ranks from constable to chief superintendent in the Met's entire history.
In this enthralling memoir, Parm chronicles her journey from life on the outskirts of Birmingham as the fourth child of immigrants from the Punjab to the upper echelons of the Met. Forced into an abusive arranged marriage aged just 16, Parm made the decision to escape to London with her newborn son and later joined the police as a constable.
During her thirty-year career, Parm worked in everything from crime prevention to counter-terrorism, and she also served in the Met's police corruption unit. She played a senior organizing role in the London Olympics and was the superintendent on duty when Lee Rigby was beheaded in the street in Greenwich.
However, Parm's time on the force was chequered throughout with incidents of racial and gender discrimination, and, after deciding to make a stand, she found herself facing a spurious charge of gross misconduct. Black and Blue tells her shocking story and of her quest for justice in her police work and for herself. It is a story that cannot fail to inspire anyone who has experienced prejudice or abuse of any kind.
Parm Sandhu joined the police in 1989 and rose through the ranks to become the highest ranking female Asian officer in the Metropolitan Police Service. Among many honours, Parm has been awarded Asian Woman of the Year, the Vasakhi Award (Mayor of London) and Sikh Women of Distinction (Sikh Women's Alliance).
Stuart Prebble was for many years a leading television journalist, notably on ITV's World in Action programme, and later became CEO of ITV. He is now a successful producer and writer.