A FORMER Bradford police officer turned mental health advocate will speak at a health care meeting being held today virtually.

Ben Pearson, who worked in Bradford as a police officer for 19 years and will be familiar to many after appearing regularly on TV series Police Interceptors, quit the force last year.

The job took its toll on his mental health - with the sheer number of fatal crashes he was called to and speaking to devastated families. He also lost his mother and father in quick succession, and it all reached a head last October.

He was diagnosed with work-related post traumatic stress disorder, and was supported through his struggle by Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.

He will be speaking at the Trust’s Annual Members Meeting today to share his story and discuss the important of mental health services and tackling the stigma around the illness.

He will be discussing his first book, Handcuff Emotions, written about his journey with PTSD, as well as his new book Hotel Tango 23, which discusses his leaving the force and the impact of his first book.

He will also share his story and discuss the importance of sharing your feelings, talk about his recovery, and the importance of tackling the stigma of mental health and the accessing mental health services.

The father of two has become a notable mental health advocate since resigning from the force and turning his focus towards writing.

He said: “I’m massively looking forward to it, it’s the people who helped and looked after me for the past two years, and put me back on my feet.

“It’s hard to put into words what they’ve done for me, I’m really excited to be able to give something back; I’m eternally grateful to them.

“I’ll be talking my journey with mental health, and how it can affect anybody and the importance of speaking up.

“I’m not afraid to say I have mental health issues; no one should be afraid to, and I’ll be sharing how it impacts me and how I’ve combated it.

“My new book Hotel Tango 23 came out at the start of the month on Amazon, and it went straight to number one for police books, it’s doing really well.

“It’s about my journey after retiring from the police to where I’m at now, along with some stories from the past. It’s a bit more light-hearted than my last book!

“I’m planning a third book, YouTube is going well, I’m in a good place right now.”

The event is taking place from 1.30pm virtually , with a range of speakers including Mr Pearson, plus the opportunity for the public to ask questions. The event is open to all online.

Paul Hogg, the Trust’s Associate Director of Corporate Affairs, said: “We’re delighted to invite everyone from the local community who has an interest in how we deliver our services, whether they are currently using them or not, to our Annual Members’ Meeting.

“We welcome everyone to come along, ask questions, and learn more about our work.

“The meeting is a great opportunity for governors and senior staff from the Trust to share more about our work and to engage with the local community that we aim to support.

“We look forward to seeing as many people as possible at the online event.”

People wishing to attend the event today can receive the joining instructions, or submit a question to the Trust Board, by emailing ft@bdct.nhs.uk or by calling 01274 251313.