DUDLEY'S Sir Lenny Henry has been honoured with a special BAFTA award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to British television.

The stand-up comic, actor and writer, who grew up in Douglas Road near Buffery Park, has been handed the Alan Clarke Award for a lifetime of work from his early comedy output to more recent serious TV and stage roles and for his involvement with the charity Comic Relief which he helped launch in 1988 and which has raised millions to try and help make poverty history.

Sir Lenny, whose TV work includes The Magicians, The Lenny Henry Show and Three Of A Kind, has previously received two BAFTA nominations for The Lenny Henry Show and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards in 2003, as well as a CBE in 1999 for his services to charity and the arts - and he knighted in the Queen's 2015 Birthday Honours.

Krishnendu Majumdar, chairman of BAFTA’s Television Committee, said there was "no-one more deserving of the Special Award this year than Lenny Henry", and he added: "He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a performer and writer, appearing in dozens of shows from Tiswas to the hugely popular Lenny Henry Show and most recently in the drama, The Syndicate; proving his appeal spans all generations and genres.

"Lenny’s recent groundbreaking BAFTA lecture has helped to reframe and reignite the discussion about diversity in British television, with the conversations he has sparked already leading to positive changes. This, coupled with his incredible contribution to the industry, makes him the perfect choice for the Special Award."

The award, named in memory of the late TV director Alan Clarke, was presented by Adrian Lester, star of BBC One's Undercover at the House of Fraser British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on Sunday May 8.

Sir Lenny said he was "honoured and humbled" by the recognition and he said: "I am truly hopeful that this award is a pan-industry acknowledgement that diversity must be at the heart of our industry if we are to reflect British society now and, most importantly, in the future.”

Accepting the accolade at the BAFTAS, he thanked "the Dudley posse" among a host of others for supporting him over the years and he added: "I never dreamed my work would be recognised in this way. So far my career has spanned over four decades and I’ve had the opportunity to work in everything from comedy, documentaries, children’s TV and drama - which has been fantastic."