A FLOOD campaigner honoured by the Queen has been told she will “never be out of work.”

The Queen made the comment while awarding Mary Dhonau with her OBE, for supporting and lobbying on behalf of flood victims, at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

Ms Dhonau said: “She asked what exactly I did and I explained I ran a charity supporting flood victims, and that we had met before when she opened the police station in Worcester. She smiled and said ‘you’ll never be out of work then.’”

Ms Dhonau has travelled the UK campaigning tirelessly for better flood defences and more help for flood victims after becoming one herself when she lived in Diglis, Worcester, in 2000.

She travelled to Buckingham Palace in London to receive her honour for services to the environment, including setting up the National Flood Forum.

“It was amazing, I was two people away from actress Sue Johnstone who was getting her OBE,” said Ms Dhonau.

“I approached the Queen, she gave me the OBE and we spoke, then the trickiest thing was walking backwards in my killer heels – but I made it.”

Afterwards, Ms Dhonau, her sister and parents enjoyed a lunch at the Ritz, spotting former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher among the diners.