A COUNTY man says he feels "honoured" to have been awarded an MBE from the Queen last week.

Dr Malcolm Russell, from Burghill, has been recognised for going "above and beyond" to help others as part of his work with the Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS).

MARS delivers advanced pre-hospital emergency medical care to the critically ill and injured in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Dr Russell, a former military doctor, was awarded the MBE at Windsor Castle last Friday for his work with emergency services at the scene of road accidents and agricultural and industrial accidents across the county.

He said: "I was delighted that my family were able to attend as guests. It was an incredible day and I met some amazing people who were also being invested. I thought very much about all the good medical work carried out in the West Midlands and how, as many different organisations including the NHS and voluntary services, we manage to work very well together for the sake of our patients, who must almost remain our focus."

Dr Rusell has also been called out to international disasters, like the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand and the Japan tsunami in 2011, due to his role as a medical director for the UK International Search and Rescue Team.

Anyone who wishes to donate to MARS can visit marsbasics.org.uk