A POLICE officer from North Weald has been made a MBE for his work setting up a boxing club for inner city youths.

PC Gerald Willmott, of School Green Lane, was awarded the accolade in the Queen's 2010 New Year's Honours list today.

Mr Willmott, a 55-year-old father of two, has won widespread praise where he works in the north London borough of Haringey after launching the club in 1999 opposite Tottenham Hotspur football team's ground in White Hart Lane.

An overjoyed Mr Willmott said: "When I found out I was completely surprised, I never expected to ever receive anything like this.

"I feel very thrilled, it's an honour to be awarded, it's so nice to be appreciated."

Mr Willmott established the Haringey Police Amateur Community Boxing Club with colleague Kenneth Marsh, who also received the gong in today's honour's list, as a way of keeping young people out of trouble by teaching them the discipline of the sport.

Mr Willmott said: "Ten years ago we just needed something to get the kids off the streets.

"We wanted to do something different from football and basketball and I have a background of boxing, even after joining the police force in 1975. It's been a great success."

Mr Willmott, who previously worked as a police officer in Waltham Abbey during his 34 years in the force, has been told he will receive his MBE at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace within the coming months.

"I'm going to try and make the most of it," he added.

"All my colleagues, being coppers, are a bit cynical about it but I'm going to make sure they say MBE every time they call my name, otherwise what's the point in having it?," he joked.