An author has collected a major award for a story tracing the lives of European soldiers in 19th century Punjab.
Bobby Singh Bansal, 43, of Syston, received the Mighty Pen Award for The Lion's Firanghis at the Los Angeles Sikh Art and Film Festival last month.
The book has already sold more than 3,000 copies. Mr Bansal travelled to Pakistan and around the world to research the book.
He said: "Over the years more Europeans were attracted by the mansions and lifestyles they could get in the Punjab and some British even deserted from the East India Company.
"But, after the British had their first victory over the Sikh Empire in 1846, one of the conditions was that the Maharajah had to deport all the European officers. They left with their Indian wives and families and scattered all over the world and I wanted to find out what happened to them."
The Lion's Firanghis: Europeans At The Court Of Lahore,
costs £25 and is available from:www.skfoundation.co.uk