Faversham’s MP will be knighted this year as part of Prime Minister David Cameron’s recommendations.

Just a week after he quit his role as foreign office minister as part of a major cabinet reshuffle, Hugh Robertson will become a sir.

He will be made Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George to honour his work during the London 2012 Olympics.

His work led to the Olympic torch travelling through Faversham, the development of the town’s gym club in Whitstable Road and the 3G pitch at the Abbey School in London Road.

He said: “It is both exciting a rather humbling to have been told that I am going to be knighted for my contribution to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“As both the Shadow Minister and latterly as Minister for Sport and the Olympics, I worked on London 2012 for nearly a decade and it was a terrific privilege to be part of the team that delivered such an outstanding event.

“It’s one of those things that you think will happen to someone else and I can’t quite believe it is happening to me.”

“It is both exciting a rather humbling to have been told that I am going to be knighted for my contribution to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games" - Hugh Robertson MP

But the move has been seen as an “abuse of the honours system” by some as David Cameron came under fire this week.

Labour said the knighthoods, also given to Alan Duncan, showed that Mr Cameron was using the system to reward ministers who went quietly.

Last week Mr Robertson said that it would “not be fair” to carry on with his role as minister for the Middle East, north Africa and counter terrorism.

He said in an open letter to David Cameron: “It now feels like the right time to take stock with my family.

“It would not be fair to you, the government or my excellent team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do this at a time when I should be totally focused on my job.”