Ex Flying squad officer who beat alcohol and stigma.

Jackie Malton was openly gay from an early age. As a result her character was put to the test when she joined Leicestershire Police and subsequently the Metropolitan Police. She rose through the ranks and became a member of the renowned “Flying Squad.”

Passionate about her job and dealing with all the pressures that entailed she increasingly felt ashamed and she turned to alcohol to cope. It was a chance encounter with a street drinker that would change her life forever.

As a thief taker she came to understand the villains she arrested and ultimately became a counsellor in prison on leaving the police service. Jackie’s story is remarkable, so much so in fact that her career was the basis of the popular television crime series Prime Suspect.

FOOTNOTE: Jackie has asked me to clarify that she held the rank of Detective Sergeant on the Flying squad and retired with the rank of Detective Chief Inspector.