Tributes have poured in for Croydon woman Sislin Fay Allen who was the first ever Black woman to serve with the Metropolitan Police service.

Sislin Fay Allen sadly passed away at her family home in Jamaica aged 83 on Monday (July 3), the Met has confirmed.

In a statement acknowledging her contributions and impact, a spokesperson for the Met said:

"Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Sislin Fay Allen who has died aged 83 at her home in Jamaica.

"Sislin was the UK’s first black female officer and joined the Met on April 19, 1968.

"We are grateful for your service Sislin, you paved the way for so many others."

Sislin was born in Jamaica in 1939, before later moving to the UK. She qualified as a nurse in Croydon before deciding to join the Met as only its second Black officer at the time.

Quoted by the BBC in one story, Allen recalled of the moment she joined:

"On the day I joined I nearly broke a leg trying to run away from reporters. I realised then that I was a history maker.

"But I didn't set out to make history; I just wanted a change of direction."

Among those paying tribute to the path-finding public servant were Leroy Logan, who fought institutional racism in the Met Police after joining its ranks in the 1980s.

Logan tweeted:

"I know how tough it was for me to join the @metpoliceuk in the early 80’s, but it pales into insignificance in comparison to the remarkable Seslin Fay Allen as the 1st UK black female officer in 1968.

"She sadly died today in Jamaica, knowing she’d inspired many others to serve."

Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn also joined the statements paying homage to Sislin's impact, writing:

"In the late 1960s, Sislin Fay Allen, a former nurse became the UK's first black woman police officer.

"Ignoring the racism her appointment sparked, she worked on the beat & at Scotland Yard. She died this week.

"My condolences to her family, friends & colleagues in the UK & Jamaica."