From tense hostage negotiations to a police officer haunted by the silhouette of a violent murderer, Brampton journalist Ben Ando’s first book Beyond the Call of Duty follows the true story of some of the UK’s police heroes.

Alongside former Detective Chief Superintendent and Assistant Director of the National Criminal Intelligence Service Nick Kinsella, Mr Ando compiled 28 untold tales of bravery from those at the frontline of the criminal justice system.

Over the course of six months they visited police officers to interview them about their harrowing experiences.

Mr Ando, a 47-year-old BBC news correspondent of St George’s Close, said: “I was trying to tell the stories in their words.

“Not all stories have happy endings, some stories we came out thinking ‘that was really tough’.

“It’s about ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances.”

While Mr Kinsella focused on research, gathering a vast amount of information from forces around the UK, Mr Ando spent two months making their experiences into “page-turning stories”.

He said he was supported ­throughout by wife Melanie and daughters Josie, 15, and Maddy, 13.

Both Maddy and his mother-in-law Pat Prince, 68, helped to critique the stories, making sure they were as gripping as possible.

Mr Ando was inspired to write the book through his work with Mr Kinsella during his 24-year ­journalistic career – particularly through his coverage of human trafficking.

At a meeting to discuss writing a book about Mr Kinsella’s ­experiences, the conversation turned to Mr Kinsella’s son Joe, who received a Chief Constable’s Commendation and an award from the Royal Humane Society after rescuing a man from a lake.

Realising there were so many unsung heroes in the police force, they set about their investigation.

Mr Ando said: “My interest in the police is purely a journalistic one.

“I was not sure that I ever thought I would write a book – it was not one of those things on my bucket list.

“Now I would definitely like to carry on doing long form writing. Having written one book has really whetted my appetite.”

INFORMATION: Beyond the Call of Duty is available at all major book shops, on www.amazon.co.uk, on www.bookdepository.co.uk or you can get in from the publishers at ­­­www.constablerobinson.com