The Met want to learn about the officer's experiences

The man is wearing a uniform in a photograph taken on 3 September 1910.

He was attending an event to celebrate the first Chislehurst fire engine, in south-east London.

The hunt for information is part of the 10th anniversary of the Black Police Association, the Met's 175th anniversary and Black History Month.

Commander Steve Allen, head of the Met's Diversity Directorate, said the photograph provided a "glimpse" of the force's history.

He was one of the pioneers in being a black role model in the capital's criminal justice system Commander Steve Allen, head of the Met's Diversity Directorate

He said: "He must have been one of the first black police officers in the Met and, with that, must have found an environment very different to that of today.

"He was one of the pioneers in being a black role model in the capital's criminal justice system."

Keith Smith, from the Met Black Police Association, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of black staff to policing over the last 100 years.

"Celebrating this achievement, through Black History Month, sends a positive message to the black community that the Metropolitan Police values and celebrates their achievements in making the police service what it is today."