A former Kingston mayor has been invited to see the Queen for a fifth time.

Chessington South councillor, Shiraz Mirza, will attend a celebratory event to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee and his own 60th birthday all in the same month.

He will be one of the few chosen guests invited to be in the company of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at a special south London jubilee lunch next week.

The lunch will take place at St Mark’s Academy, Mitcham, on Tuesday, May 15 – just two weeks after Coun Mirza celebrated his own birthday.

This will be the fifth time the ex-mayor, who lives in Leatherhead Road, has met the Queen.

He said: “I am even more excited about meeting her this time because it is the diamond jubilee – a very important year.

“I was born in the same year too, so this is the best gift I could ever have. I will never forget this present.

“I have been to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen three times and also to St James’s Palace.

“She is a very pleasant lady – quite small and softly spoken. She is very elegant too. I am so lucky to meet her again.”

Coun Mirza who previously raised thousands of pounds to help flood victims in Pakistan, will attend the event after being chosen as one of the borough’s special achievers.

On being chosen he said: "I do not know how I was chosen. I just received a letter a few weeks ago. I am very happy – I will keep it forever.

"I do not feel I have done anything special to deserve it – only what residents have asked me to do, so I only have them to thank for this honour."