Winston Trew: I was strangled by a corrupt police officer

In the new podcast, Brixton: Flames on the Frontline, Winston Trew (voiced by Peter Bankole) shares his story of being attacked and arrested by a corrupt police officer in the lead up to the 1981 Brixton riots.

He said: “Right there and then, the only difference between me and George Floyd was there weren’t any mobile phones around to record him strangling me.”

Winston spent eight months in prison for attempted theft and assaulting a police officer. It later emerged he had been framed by a corrupt police officer from the British Transport Police.

His conviction was not overturned until 2019 - 47 years later.

British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: “I apologise unreservedly for the distress, anxiety and impact this will have undoubtedly caused those who were wrongly convicted.”

He added: “Over the intervening 45 years there have been significant changes in how all forces, including British Transport Police, identify and investigate police misconduct.”

Find out how Winston’s story - and others like it - led to growing anger before the 1981 Brixton riots in this new podcast, available on BBC Sounds.