A LOCAL historian who was awarded an MBE said the honour was "for everyone in Hull".

Proud 62-year-old Alec Gill was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) at an investiture at Buckingham Palace for his work in documenting Hull's fishing heritage.

He has written six books and produced six videos since developing an interest in the Hessle Road community as an amateur photographer in the mid-1970s.

Mr Gill, of John Street, city centre, received his award from the Prince of Wales on the same day as Beijing Olympic 400m gold medal winner Christine Ohuruogu.

He said: "It's a wonderful honour and I feel like I am receiving it for everyone in Hull because Hull is a wonderful place to come from and it's wonderful to receive this award.

"I started taking photos of the community in 1974 and find them fascinating people.

"They have one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet, going out on trawlers, day in, day out. This award is in recognition of the work they do."

On meeting the Prince of Wales, Mr Gill said: "He was asking me about the work, I think he assumed I was a trawlerman, and I told him about the work.

"He was very kind, a very nice chap. I said to him 'Oh I believe you have been on a Hull trawler yourself' and he said yes he had a long time ago, because I knew the skipper he had been with.

"Receiving the award, I think it hit me emotionally when I saw members of my group, family and friends. I had to hold back a tear."

Through his work with the fishing families, Mr Gill became one of the co-founders of the annual Lost Trawlerman's Day.

Mr Gill said: "I was particularly taken by the fact these people were not able to grieve fully, so when the idea of having a service came up, it seemed the obvious thing to do.

"After hearing news of receiving the MBE the response has been brilliant with letters of congratulation from fishermen and regional history societies.

"The MBE is for the fishing families of Hull and I have been researching them for 35 years now as a photographer and writer and researcher.

"In the future the work goes on, what I want to do is put it all on the web so that people in Australia and the US can get the benefit of all the research."