Small Axe: Alex Wheatle and Leroy Logan share tales that inspired show

Star Wars actor John Boyega played former policeman Leroy Logan in Sir Steve McQueen's Small Axe: Red, White and Blue

Two people whose lives were charted by an Oscar-winning director have spoken of their stories' "universal" appeal.

Writer Alex Wheatle and the first National Black Police Association chair Leroy Logan appeared at West Suffolk College's Untold Heroes forum, designed to inspire students.

Director Sir Steve McQueen featured their lives in his five-part BBC series Small Axe.

Organiser Ellisha Soanes said they were "both inspirational heroes".

It is the first time that West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds has held the five-day Untold Heroes event

The high-profile guests spoke online at the event, held for the first time by the Bury St Edmunds college to highlight the achievements of black people in Suffolk.

Wheatle and Mr Logan said having their stories turned into films for Sir Steve's Bafta-nominated anthology had been "life-changing".

"Even this morning I got a message from someone in Malaysia saying how much it's touched them," said Wheatle.

"These are universal stories - these are not just black stories.

"They are for everybody to learn from and to relate to."

Wheatle shared the story, told in Small Axe, of how he grew up in a care home and was never visited by family, but found his identity through his love for reading, music and his move to Brixton, London.

Writer Alex Wheatle told the audience that his passion for reading had sustained him through some tough times

The award-winning writer told the event, which was hosted by BBC Radio Suffolk presenter Angelle Joseph, how he experienced violence every night aged just seven and eight.

"Despite what I went through, it was the reading that got me through," he told the audience.

"I would never speak about the violence... but I had the urge to write down my experience.

"I needed that for my identity."

Both guests spoke about how they were driven by their inner passions, despite their different upbringings.

"My core was telling me I wanted to be a writer... my Brixton friends would laugh at me... but me reading a comic at five led to me coming a writer," said Wheatle.

Leroy Logan said he had been determined to pursue his ambition to be a policeman

His experience chimed with that of Mr Logan, who pursued his childhood ambition to become a police officer and rose to the top ranks, despite his father being assaulted by two policemen.

A scientist before joining the Metropolitan Police, he said spending part of his childhood in Jamaica and seeing black people in respected professions was crucial to his confidence.

"You need to see it to become it," he said.

"I would say to my younger self 'keep focused and don't allow yourself to be derailed'."

Mr Logan, who helped set up the National Black Police Association, said the first two years as a police officer were difficult but he was determined.

"I kept my inner joy, resilience... and I wasn't going to let people down."

The pair appeared on Wednesday at Untold Heroes, which features a line-up of mainly local guests and ends on Friday.

Miss Soanes, the college's equality, diversity and digital inclusion co-ordinator and a lecturer, said due to Covid, the events were only open to invited guests including schools, but recordings would be available to all students and to the public on its social platforms.

"Most guests are based in Suffolk - these people are in our community and we want our students to think 'if they can do it, so can I'," she said.

"It is important that our students have understanding for people and treat everyone equally," she said.