A POLIO heroine who lived in Kidderminster has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) posthumously.

Dawn Clements, who campaigned for more people to be vaccinated against polio following the death of her first husband, Birmingham City and England footballer Jeff Hall, in 1959, was awarded the BEM in the Queen's Birthday Honours earlier this year.

Mrs Clements was told she would be receiving the award before she died of an illness at the end of May, at the age of 79.

Husband Allen, daughter Penny and her grandchildren, collected the award on Mrs Clement's behalf from the Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Holcroft, during a special ceremony held at Worcester's Guildhall on Friday afternoon, (November 11).

During the presentation Lt Col Holcroft told the family he was presenting the award on behalf on Her Majesty the Queen, adding he knew it would be in good hands and looked after by the family.

After the ceremony Mr Clements said it was long overdue recognition for her work, and said a campaign to make Mrs Clements a Dame posthumously was gathering momentum.

"My wife saved millions of lives throughout the world - what we have today is a wonderful gesture, but we wish she could now be made a Dame," he said.

"She never did it to be honoured - but her name is not going to be brushed underneath the carpet.

"When she was told by the Cabinet Office she would be receiving the award, she said she wasn't expecting anything.

"All Dawn ever thought about was helping other people."

Daughter Penny described the ceremony as "bittersweet", as the family were proud, but wished she was still alive to collect it.

"I remember when she heard about receiving it she described it as 'beautiful medal', and said she was very proud to be receiving it.

"She campaigned for the vaccination because she didn't want anybody else to go through what she went through, with the death of her husband."

When news of her death was announced, Ted Hill MBE, CEO of The British Polio Fellowship, described her loss as "devastating", adding the BEM would be richly deserved.

The British Polio Fellowship used its 75th anniversary in 2014 to present Dawn with its most prestigious honour, the Barbara Wood Award.

But the news came just weeks after Mrs Clements, who lived in Kidderminster with husband Allen, died of an illness at the end of May, at the age of 79.