By Trevor Sturgess

Ben Freeth, a Zimbabwe farmer who suffered torture and the destruction of his family home, chatted with the Queen for more than a minute when she presented him with his MBE.

"It was amazing that she knew so much about what happened to me," said Mr Freeth, who grew up in Sittingbourne.

"She knew that our house had been burnt down and said how sorry she was to hear about that. I felt she shared my concerns about Zimbabwe. I think she has a soft spot for the country, having been there and been given a real welcome.

"It is one of the highlights of my life, a fairytale come true. She is really gracious and has a way of making people feel she is on their level and that she really cares about the people she is giving awards to."

Mr Freeth, his wife Laura, and their three children Joshua, 10, Stephen, eight, and Anna, five, returned to his parents' home in Oad Street before attending the ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

Mr Freeth was given his honour for services to the Zimbabwe farming community.

He has defied President Robert Mugabe in the law courts, stood up to the threats and land invasions by Mugabe supporters, and resisted all attempts to evict him and his workers. Those efforts almost cost him his life when he and his parents-in-law were set upon by thugs, a nightmare experience that featured in the award-winning documentary Mugabe and the White African. The family was eventually forced out when their farmhouse was destroyed by fire.

They now live in Harare but hope to return one day, although Mr Freeth admits the outlook for Zimbabwe remains "pretty grim." Meanwhile, the farm has been handed over to a former cabinet minister.

Mr Freeth went back recently, distressed to see that buildings untouched in the first fire have since been razed to the ground.

He said: "It's going to be a battle when we get back but I believe ultimately we will be able to go back."

For more news from the Sittingbourne area, pick up a copy of your weekly Sittingbourne Messenger.