WORCESTERSHIRE MP Jacqui Smith has been made Britian's first female Home Secretary.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown made the announcement as he unveiled his first Cabinet yesterday.

Mrs Smith, aged 44, MP for Redditch, first entered Parliament in 1997 when Tony Blair swept to power with New Labour.

She was previously chief whip, working with Worcester MP Mike Foster and 15 other whips.

She trained as a teacher at the then Worcester College of Higher Education, gaining her postgraduate certificate in higher education in 1986. She received an honorary degree from Worcester University in 2005.

She said: "I am immensely proud to be asked by Gordon Brown to take on this role. It's hard to imagine a greater responsibility for someone elected by the British people than to be tasked with the job of protecting our borders, communities and people in order that they can get on with their lives. I am very proud of being appointed and I am now going to get on with it."

Mr Foster congratulated his colleague by saying: "I'm absolutely delighted for her - she's incredibly capable."