AS the anger and frustration which spawned London's notorious race riots simmered away, David Michael made what would become a historic move.

Born on the Caribbean island of Dominica, David moved to Britain with his parents in 1965 and settled in Luton.

In 1971, while his peers were targeted under "sus" laws - seen by many as the deliberate targeting of black youths under stop-and-search powers - David, then 27, signed up as a police cadet.

A year after being handed his standard issue blue shirt and trousers, he was sent to serve at Lewisham station, a place he fondly refers to as "Ladywell nick".

Now 62, the retired Detective Chief Inspector, who helped found the Black Police Association in 1994, looks back on his 31-year career with mixed emotions.

Recalling his decision to join the Met, he said: "It was something I'd always wanted to do.

"My friends and family were pleased about my decision, it was just not an issue. I'd never really experienced racism before then."

The father-of-two claims he was treated as "one-of-the-lads" during his training at Hendon and only once remembers being made to feel inferior because of his skin colour.

He insists colleagues at Lewisham did not discriminate against him on grounds of race but claims attitudes he encountered were endemic of British thinking towards the black community at the time. The Catford resident said: "People wouldn't say things to me directly but the language used to talk about black people was the crudest you could imagine.

"There was the impression black people had a chip on their shoulders but I tried to block it out."

David added: "Even the Race Relations Act, which came in during 1976, didn't make a difference.

"I was determined not to let it get to me and wanted to show members of my community we could be police officers too."

As the capital bore witness to the black community's increasing distrust of a force intended to protect the vulnerable, David left the borough and became a sergeant in 1983 and finally a Detective Chief Inspector in 1988.

Over the years David says he was subjected to racial prejudice but declined to give specific examples, saying he would rather look back on his career positively.

He wanted to complain to superiors on grounds of discrimination but feared it would hinder his career prospects.

He said: "I experienced differential treatment to white colleagues in management meetings, in the way work was deployed and how rewards and recognition were given out."

A year after Stephen Lawrence's murder in 1993, David found the courage to take a stand and launched legal action against his employer.

Following a four-year tribunal, ending in 1998 - a year before the Macpherson report slammed the Met as institutionally racist - an "amicable" solution was reached and an out-of-court settlement made.

He said: "I knew I did it for the right motives.

"I wanted to bring the issue to public attention."

To commemorate this year's Black History Month in October, which celebrates achievements of the black community, David will speak about his experiences on September 26.

The Stephen Lawrence case is on his discussion list and although he believes the tragic event had a positive effect on the Met, his message will be delivered with a warning.

He added: "Things have moved but we can't be complacent. We can't just say racism within the Met is buried in history. It's not and we need to keep on fighting."

l For tickets to David's talk in the main hall, St Laurence Court, Bromley Road, Catford, at 6pm, call 07930 302809 or email info@dmichael.co.uk