Damilola: The Untold Story on BBC Two, Monday 5th October 2026

Twenty-six years after the death of Damilola Taylor, a powerful new BBC documentary tells his story afresh - not through the lens of the crime, but through the eyes of the people who loved him and who were there.

Damilola: The Untold Story, produced by Optomen Television and directed by double Grierson Award-winning filmmaker Alex Thomas, retraces Damilola's final day in Peckham on 27th November 2000. The film brings together those who knew him best, including his elder brother Tunde Taylor, long-time family friend and Star Wars actor John Boyega, and others who have rarely, if ever, spoken publicly about what happened and what it has meant to carry that loss for more than two decades.

Leroy features in the documentary as a contributor and trustee of the Damilola Taylor Trust. As a former Metropolitan Police Superintendent, founding member of the Black Police Association and the officer who led a team of detectives door to door on the North Peckham estate in the days after Damilola's death, Leroy had a professional connection to the case unlike any other. But he also had a personal one: he had known Damilola's parents, Richard and Gloria Taylor, since the 1970s.

Speaking to the Radio Times ahead of the broadcast, Leroy reflected on what Damilola's story still means today. Knife crime and violence remain an issue, even as violent crime falls across the country. "But we can still turn Damilola's story into a message of hope. If a 10-year-old boy could have such aspirations - to be a doctor, to change the world - then none of us have an excuse not to try."

Tunde Taylor, who is now Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Damilola Taylor Trust, also spoke to the Radio Times about his brother. "When you hear about Damilola, it's always about the murder and not about the little boy that he really was," he said. "He was fun, cheeky, full of life." Despite carrying the weight of that loss for 26 years, Tunde finds purpose in the Trust's continuing work. "We may not be able to solve everything but I'm trying to find my own way by keeping Damilola's legacy alive."

Ahead of the broadcast, a special screening was held at BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly on Wednesday 16th September, where Leroy joined Tunde, John Boyega and Grace Boyega on the Q&A panel.

The Damilola Taylor Trust was established in 2001 in memory of Damilola by his parents Richard and Gloria Taylor. For over two decades it has supported young people in South London through mentoring, education, employability and community engagement. As the Trust marks its 25th anniversary this year, this film is a timely and important reminder of why that work began - and why it matters as much as ever.

Damilola: The Untold Story is on BBC Two on Monday 5th October 2026 and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.