Queen's Birthday Honours: Woman given MBE for services to policing

Melissa Dark has been awarded an MBE for services to policing

A woman appointed MBE for her police work during the pandemic said she "cried and laughed" after hearing she had been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Melissa Dark, 34, from Manningtree, Essex, created a contact centre so Covid victims could be identified.

It meant families had a single point of contact if they believed their loved ones had died.

Ms Dark said learning of the honour was "overwhelming".

"I was really excited and so proud when I heard but anyone would do what I did," she said.

"I have cried and laughed, it is so overwhelming. It makes me reflect on the people who have faith and trust in me to do this job, which I feel I was put on this earth to do," said Ms Dark, who works for the City of London Police.

The casualty bureau manager and disaster victim identification co-ordinator decided to go into policing after the 2005 London bombings, when she was 17.

"When that happened I knew I was going to help people in public service. Three months later I found myself at Chelmsford police station as a trainee," she said.

Melissa Dark with her rescue dog Maude

She was asked to draw on her experience of the 2017 London Bridge terror attacks, when she set up a casualty bureau for families to contact, which received thousands of phone calls.

Ms Dark also managed the casualty bureaux for the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack, the Manchester Arena bombing, the Grenfell Tower fire and the Essex lorry container incident.

She had to apply this experience to deal with excess deaths and deaths in the community during the pandemic, which were four times higher in London than their normal level.

"My biggest driver is to always think about how this would be experienced by the families and victims," she said.

Other people from Essex awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours include:

• Robert Lodge, 70, from Weeley Heath, who was recognised for his work as vice chair and trustee of the Red Cypher Charity, which supports veterans and their families

• Mark Caldon, 61, from Chelmsford, Essex, for his work as secretary of the UK Spoliation Advisory Panel, for services to cultural restoration

• Cherry McKean, 45, from Halstead, for services to the community in the town during Covid

• Sandra Colston, 46, from Colchester, who is musical director of the Funky Voices choir

• Pranav Bhanot, 33, a councillor for Chigwell Parish Council, recognised for his services to the community

• Roger Pickett, a former firefighter who created The Essex Fire Museum, and Derek Whitbread, an on-call firefighter at Epping who has served the town for 47 years, both received the British Empire Medal