A FORMER caseworker from Alloa was overwhelmed to have been nominated for a parliamentary award.

Alloa woman Lynda Kritikou, who used to work for former MP Luke Graham, narrowly missed out on scooping the Parliamentary Caseworker of the Year 2019 accolade at the Parliamentary Staff Awards ceremony in Westminster earlier this month.

Lynda, who started in the role in 2017 following Mr Graham's victory in Ochil and South Perthshire, had been the go-to person for all constituent enquiries.

She led a small team which worked through around 8,000 individual cases, supporting the MP to make sure local residents' voices are heard and their problems resolved.

Her hard work and determination earned plaudits as she was among the final four nominees for the award, the only one from Scotland, with fierce competition from hundreds of others from across the UK.

Lynda said: "It was an honour and a little overwhelming to even be nominated for the award.

"It's been great to be part of the team here in Ochil and South Perthshire and I have loved every second of it.

"The award nomination was just the cherry on top and I am proud that I have been able to represent Luke's office."

Mr Graham had nothing but praise for his former member of staff, who was sadly made redundant along with colleagues when the Conservative politician lost his seat in last December's General Election.

He added: "Lynda has been at the centre of my office since the start.

"She is one of the hardest working people I know and even though she didn't win, I am proud that others have seen and can recognise the lengths she will go to help others.

"Her dedication and knowledge are second to none and I wish her every success for the future."