NORTH Herefordshire MP Bill Wiggin has said he's surprised to find out he's been given a knighthood.

In the Queen's 2022 New Year Honours list, Mr Wiggin was recognised for his political and public service. 

Now living in Upton Bishop, Conservative Mr Wiggin has represented the North Herefordshire constituency, formerly Leominster, since 2001.

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Speaking after it was announced he would be made a Knight Bachelor, he said: "I am surprised but honoured by this award, which shows tremendous respect for my whole constituency, not simply for me.

"I am delighted that the work I have done in Parliament and most of all for my constituents, has been recognised.

"My family and I are thrilled and have been especially touched by some of the kind notes of congratulation.

"Working for the people of Herefordshire has been a reward in itself so this honour is simply the icing on the cake."

His constituency covers areas such as Leominster, Bromyard, Ledbury and Kington.

Herefordshire's two Conservative MPs have recently been campaigning for help with the phosphate issue plaguing the rivers Wye and Lugg.

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A new cross-border strategy is needed to clean up pollution in the River Wye, Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman told Parliament earlier this year.

Such a move would be “a priceless opportunity for relatively little cost to bring an end to this scourge, and to restore this priceless, gorgeous natural asset to its pristine glory”, he said.

Currently, the river “is being undermined by dreadful phosphate pollution” from sewage discharges and animal waste spread on nearby fields, he said.

Explaining that a cross-border approach would be required to address this, he said Natural Resources Wales, Natural England and the Environment Agency “have not been adequately talking to each other” on the issue.

North Herefordshire MP Bill Wiggin added there was “not a cigarette paper” between his and Mr Norman’s views on the “vital subject” of how to address pollution in the Wye.