A member of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) staff, Sunita Ladha, has been nominated for an Inspire Women Award.

The Awards, now in its sixth year, celebrate the contributions that women from all walks of life, have made to Bolton and the wider North West region, showcasing examples of courage, triumph, kindness, compassion, transformation, skill and success.

Sunita, who has worked at GMP since 2004 as an investigation assistant, was nominated for her professionalism and commitment to supporting victims and assisting with investigations of crime.

Throughout her career with GMP, Sunita has worked on numerous investigations, including operations targeting the theft of stolen cars, where Sunita identified stolen property and worked to reunite it to the victim. In 2007, Sunita received a GMP Divisional Commanders Award for assisting a victim of burglary throughout the criminal justice process, from capturing their statement through to accompanying the victim in court, ensuring they were supported and informed at each stage.

Sunita balances her work with maintaining her health and well-being. After being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 23 years ago, Sunita has played an active role in GMP’s support group for Inflammatory Bowel Disease sufferers and their family members, arranging guest speakers to give advice and information to members.

Sunita is one of seven finalists for the award, the ceremony for which has for now been postponed due to the coronavirus.

On her nomination, Sunita said: “To be nominated for a Women Inspire Award is a huge honour and I am among a huge number of experienced and talented women.

“It is immensely satisfying to have the hard work of myself and my team recognised – it is a job I love because it allows me to have a real positive impact on people’s lives and help victims through what is often a very challenging time.”

Sunita’s line manager, Alison Greenhalgh, said: “Sunita is well-deserving of this award nomination. She always goes above and beyond to ensure that every vulnerable person she safeguards is well-informed, protected and supported throughout the judicial process.

“She balances her personal health issues and her work with dedication, empathy and professionalism and I am very proud of her achievements.”