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“Quality Insurance Ashley books a crime-fighting panda

at Internet Prices!” A job to write a children’s book giving it was while reading stories to son Frankie
multi-talented West Midlands Police
that he seriously thought about creating his
officer has been inspired by his day
own books. He enrolled on a masters in
Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge
an insight into his role on the front-line.
School of Art and his final project was a book
PC Ashley Crowley has used his 16 years’

policing experience to create ‘Officer Panda’, a
London, he was contacted by an agent in New
detective who encourages readers to help called ‘PC Panda.’ After a short exhibition in
him follow a trail of clues to solve a mystery. York, and within two weeks he had a two
“A panda was my natural choice for a book deal with publishers Harper Collins.
character as the British light blue and white Ashley has since gone on to illustrate four
police cars in the 1960s were known as ‘panda PC Ashley Crowley with his book ‘Officer Panda’. other books and says his role still inspires him
every time he draws while working on the
everywhere, in the back of old books, on the
Save up to 40% on your Insurance, for all serving cars’. The idea grew from there,” he reveals. 1980s green striped printer paper with the books helps him deal with the stresses of
“I’d say he is based on a mixture of the

perforated edges and on used envelopes
policing.
officers I have met throughout my career. In
the first book he gets around on a traditional usually with an old Biro. Art was also my “One book that I have illustrated deals
& retired Police Officers, Specials, Staff and Partners bicycle and I like to think he has the eye of an favourite subject at school,” he explains. with the emotions a child experiences when

they lose a parent. As a police officer I
Ashley did a foundation course in art and
experienced detective,” said Ashley.
In the first book Officer Panda is a design at Warwickshire College and a degree definitely have to deal with people at times of
fingerprint detective and during patrols he course at Southampton Solent University. heightened emotions and when people are
starts to notice giant fingerprints appearing After graduating, he worked on London based sometimes at the lowest point of their lives
throughout the town. The second novel sees magazines as a junior designer. so I definitely think that experience helps me
the character take to the skies to follow a His uncle was a police officer, meaning as convey emotion in a story,” he says.
mysterious trail of clues, including confetti, a youngster when he wasn’t drawing he was “When I am working on a book I will very
balloons and a mysterious package. It is down attending an open day at the police station or much be immersed in the process, I can work
to the reader to help solve the mysteries, playing with a toy police car. for hours and sometimes very late listening to
which were inspired by Ashley’s early career. In 2003 he joined the Force, working in music and drawing. Drawing can be a very
An author, illustrator and police officer the Chelmsley Wood and Solihull areas. He intense thinking process so I completely lose
may seem like a strange CV. But, he says each then transferred to Norfolk Police in 2013 myself when I’m working and often forget
of these skills were introduced to him at an before returning to the West Midlands last about the stresses of my day job.”
For more information on his work visit the
MOTOR INSURANCE early age. year as a response officer. ashleycrowley.com website.

Ashley also became a father in 2010 and
“As a child I loved drawing. I drew literally

HOME INSURANCE
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to have peace of

mind for the future

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Follow us on: www.facebook.com/PoliceInsure @PoliceInsure Tax & Trusts Wills & Probate Disputes Property & Family expert hand, human touch
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