Vicky McClure named in King's Birthday honours

Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure, who has worked to raise awareness of Alzheimer's, has been awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours.

The Nottingham-born actress, 40, is known for several high-octane TV roles but has gained further recognition for her charity work.

McClure is an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society, following her late grandmother's diagnosis.

She famously created a choir to help those with the illness.

She has been recognised for services to drama and to charity.

McClure first came to national attention after appearing in the 2006 Shane Meadows film This Is England, in which she played the part of Lol Jenkins.

The role, which she reprised for several TV follow-up series, won her critical acclaim and several award nominations and wins.

The This Is England franchise ran for several series, ending in 2015 with This Is England '90.

By this time, McClure had already begun her most recognisable role as DCI Kate Fleming, alongside Martin Compston, in Line Of Duty.

The show, which ran for six series, has been another critical success for the actress and garnered her further nominations.

She was nominated for a Bafta Television award for best supporting actress in 2015, and a National Television Award for drama performance in 2021.

The actress has been involved with UK charity the Alzheimer's Society for many years, having participated in the organisation's annual charity walk, and becoming an ambassador in 2018.

In 2019, she started Nottingham-based Our Dementia Choir, after her late grandmother Iris's diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

A BBC documentary to raise awareness of the disease culminated in the group's performance in front of 2,000 people at Nottingham's Royal Concert Hall, and McClure later revisited the choir in 2020 to explore the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on them.

She was further recognised for her work with the choir in August 2022 by being made an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Nottingham.

"To be awarded a Doctor of Letters at the University of Nottingham, just 10 minutes from my house, the place where Our Dementia Choir was formed... this is for sure my personally proudest day to date," she said during her acceptance speech.

"I didn't get many GCSEs, I'm not the quickest reader but I love people, they give me purpose, this doctorate gives me purpose and if there is any advice I can give to you all today... it's service.

"The world is a difficult place to navigate and for those living with dementia and other life altering illnesses we must do our bit."

Among others in the county to be named were Antony May, the chief executive of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH), who was appointed OBE.

He was chief executive of Nottinghamshire County Council before joining NUH in September 2022 and has been recognised for his services to local government.

He said: "I want to dedicate this honour to all those who work in local government, serving their communities, day in day out.

"My focus now is on my new job at NUH, but I am proud of my career in local government, and sincerely grateful to those colleagues who took the time and trouble to nominate me."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].