The police and health service in the West Midlands is at the forefront of today's local honours with two new knights.
Sir Paul Scott-Lee, the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, praised "British policing" and thanked his family for their support, while nursing expert Professor Sir George Castledine is honoured for his lifetime of service to the profession.
Sir Paul, who became the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police in 2002, launched his career in Coventry – his home town – in the early 1970s and served at various constabularies before returning to the region five years ago.
He said: "I have had the honour of serving in a number of different police forces and I view this award as not only personal recognition, but as importantly a reflection on the men and women who form British policing.
"This is a public recognition of a varied career within the police service and I'm fortunate to have had the benefit of working in a variety of different areas and meeting the full challenges policing brings, more latterly as Chief Constable of the West Midlands."
He added: "In receiving this award, I would also recognise the support I have received from my family throughout my career."
The award means four West Midlands chief constables – Sir Ron Hadfield and Sir Philip Knights, and Sir Edward Crew being the others – who have been knighted while in the post.
Sir George is currently professor of nursing at the University of Central England and a consultant of nursing at Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust.
Father-of-three Sir George, 60, from Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, has become only the second male nurse to ever receive a knighthood.
"I am just absolutely delighted and more than a little shocked," he said. "My mother was a matron and I think she was determined that at least one of her sons should go into it.
"When I started out in the mid-60s it was very difficult for a man to get into nursing. I am so pleased with the way things have changed and it is 10 times easier for male nurses these days."
Sir George studied at Oxford and was the first ever male charge nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary. He took on roles as a clinician and lecturer in North Wales before moving to UCE in the late 1980s.
He has worked closely with the Government in helping to train a new generation of "consultant nurses".
