POLICE and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire Angus Macpherson has been awarded an MBE.

Mr Macpherson was given the honour at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William.

The prestigious accolade was awarded in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June for his long service to the community.

The 64-year-old was elected as the first PCC for Wiltshire and Swindon in 2012 and re-elected in 2016.

Before becoming PCC he was a lead member of the old Wiltshire Police Authority for seven years from 2005 to 2012.

In 1992 he was appointed to the Wiltshire magistrates bench and served in Swindon, where he was a senior chairman in the adult court. He was a long-serving member of the policy committee and led several local consultations on sentencing guidelines.

In addition to his voluntary work as a magistrate, he also served as a borough councillor, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

Mr Macpherson said: “It is a great honour to be recognised with this award and I feel very proud.

“I believe the award reflects the hard work and commitment of the many people who give up their time in Wiltshire and Swindon for the common good.

“Most of all, I believe this honour reflects on the outstanding men and women of Wiltshire Police who help to keep us safe in their roles as police officers and police staff.”

Mr Macpherson is a former chairman of Threshold Housing Link and has run the Filling Station, a charity which works to feed homeless people on the streets of Swindon, for many years.

His close involvement with the two charities, and his work in the courts, has given him insights into drug and alcohol issues.

In 2001 he became treasurer of Wiltshire Community Foundation and between 2006 and 2015 he was a trustee. This was a period of exceptional growth for the foundation.

The endowment rose from about £2m to £18m and grant giving from £257,000 to more than £1m a year.