Jackie Malton (born 1951) is a UK television script consultant and former senior police officer best known for being the inspiration for the character of DCI Jane Tennison in the Prime Suspect drama written by Lynda La Plante. Malton's police career, initially in the Leicestershire and then the Metropolitan Police Service, was notable for her rise within the ranks of a very male, heterosexual establishment while being a woman detective who was openly gay. Malton worked in a number of areas, including the Flying Squad, Murder Squad and Fraud Squad. She also acted as a whistle-blower against police corruption in the 1980s. Following her work with La Plante on the Prime Suspect series, and her involvement with Cracker and Band of Gold, Malton retired from the Metropolitan Police in 1997 to pursue a career in script consultancy and has subsequently worked on over twenty major television police series including The Bill, Trial & Retribution, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes, both series of Murder Investigation Team and The Level for ITV. Malton also wrote a play, which was aired on BBC Radio 4 entitled "Be Mine". Between 2008 and 2012, Malton achieved an MA in Creative Writing and an MSc in Addiction Psychology. She contributed a chapter to Addiction, Behavioural Change and Social Identity, edited by Sarah A. Buckingham and David Best. Malton, who was already a Freeman of the City of London, was awarded an honorary doctorate from London South Bank University in October 2019 as Doctor of the university. Malton continues to volunteer in a prison with men who have a range of addiction issues, that often have had the most profound effect on their lives and the lives of others. Her TV documentary series, The Real Prime Suspect examined ten high-profile murder cases and was aired in 2019; the second series was released in 2020. Both have been seen in the US, South Africa and across Europe. See also Chris Clark, fellow British crime writer and documentary-maker who focuses on unsolved crimes References External links Twitter:@Thursley 1951 births Living people British television writers LGBT law enforcement workers Women Metropolitan Police officers British women television writers Place of birth missing (living people) English LGBT writers English lesbian writers 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 21st-century English women 21st-century English people 20th-century British women writers 21st-century British women writers Metropolitan Police officers