A campaigner against honour-based violence and forced marriage who witnessed a plot to murder her sister-in-law is the subject of a new documentary.

Sarbjit Kaur Athwal, of Kingston, told the Crime and Investigations channel of how her sister-in-law Surjit was murdered on the orders of her mother-in-law in 1998, in a programme broadcast on Sunday.

In 2007 Bachan Athwal, of Hayes, west London, was sentenced to life in prison for arranging the killing, alongside her son Sukhdave - Surjit's husband in an arranged marriage.

Campaigner Ms Athwal, who has won awards for her work, became the first person to give evidence in open court in an honour killing trial.

She told Cime and Investigations of how she lived in fear of her life for a number of years before the probe into Surjit's death was reopened.

Speaking of the documentary, she said: “It was really, really tough because of all the emotions.

“On television they want the real you to come out – the real person, and to remember everything so it really painful and emotional.

“It was hard to speak to a camera but I want to continue to make people aware.”

Ms Athwal has also set up her own charity to create awareness about honour killings. Visit truehonour.org.uk