FORMER Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke has been made a dame in the Dissolution Honours List.

Mrs Brooke, who served her constituency for 14 years, was put forward for the honour by former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

The longest-serving female Liberal Democrat MP, who stood down at the last election, told the Echo she had read reports in the papers that she was in line for the honour - but only now believed it.

"I hadn't been told about it until last Saturday when I had the phone call from Nick Clegg," she said. "I kept saying to people 'my letter must have got lost in the post' because I'd seen it in the Sunday papers but didn't know anything about it!"

She said she had been inundated with messages from people she had worked with over the years following the good news, and thanked them for their "wonderful support."

"I actually owe it to all the people who have helped and supported me so it's a big thank you to them."

Mrs Brooke, who is married to Poole councillor Mike Brooke and lives in Broadstone, added: "My family are very proud of me - they are over the moon."

Already made an OBE in the 2013 New Year's Honours List, the new honour was given to Annette Brooke for political and public service.