WIRRAL swimmer and Olympic Gold Medalist Freya Anderson has been awarded the MBE for services to swimming in the Queen's New Years Honours list.

The Birkenhead-born freestyle sprinter won gold as part of the British team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mixed 4 × 100 metre medley relay, swimming the freestyle anchor leg in the heat.

Adam Peaty, Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin powered Team GB to victory in the 4x100m mixed medley relay final after Hopkin had replaced Anderson, 20, who swam in the heat.

Although sadly denied the chance to appear on the podium with her peers, she was presented with her gold medal later on, alongside her teammates, before being embraced by Peaty who lifted her off her feet in celebration.

Anderson, who attended St Joseph's primary school and then Upton Hall Convent School before winning a scholarship to Ellesmere College in Shropshire, was also part of the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team that finished fifth in the Olympic final, competing alongside Hopkin, Abbie Wood and Lucy Hope.

Britain's Olympic and Paralympic heroes from Tokyo dominate the New Year Honours list, with golden couple Jason and Laura Kenny receiving a knighthood and damehood respectively.

Gold medallists Hannah Cockroft, Tom Daley and Max Whitlock were among the other star names from the summer to be recognised with OBEs, while US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu has been made an MBE.

Team GB won 65 medals in all at the Tokyo Olympics, with cyclist Kenny becoming the country's most successful Olympian of all time when he won his ninth medal overall - and seventh gold - on the final day of the Games.

He has now been awarded a knighthood, while his wife Laura becomes a dame after her two medals in Tokyo made her the most decorated female Olympian of all time.

She has won six Olympic medals overall, five of them gold, after winning the Madison and a silver in the team pursuit in Japan.

Peaty, who retained his 100m breaststroke title, has also been awarded an OBE after he spearheaded Britain's best-ever performance in an Olympic swimming competition as the team took home eight medals.

Double gold medallist Tom Dean also received an MBE along with his 4x200m men's freestyle relay team-mates Calum Jarvis, Matthew Richards and Duncan Scott.

British Swimming performance director Chris Spice was awarded an OBE.