A FORMER Renfrewshire church minister today received an OBE for her work in raising awareness of the Srebrenica massacre.

Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood collected the honour from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace after 'promoting tolerance and understanding' through her role as the chairwoman of the Scottish Board of the Remembering Srebrenica charity.

Dr Hood was also recognised for her 'exceptional and long service to the Church of Scotland' after being minister at Renfrew North Parish Church for 37 years. 

The Srebrenica massacre happened in July 1995 and involved the genocide of more than 8,000 Muslim Bosniaks, mainly men and boys, in and around the town.

When Dr Hood visited the town in 2013 in her role as Moderator of the General Assembly, she met the mothers of some the victims.

She was so moved that she helped set up the Scottish Board of Remembering Srebrenica to raise awareness about the atrocity.

Just yesterday Ratko Mladic, known as the Butcher of Bosnia, was found guilty of genocide and other atrocities in the 1990s Bosnian war.

After receiving her OBE Dr Hood said: "It has been a wonderful day shared with my husband Peter and our children, Laura and Michael.

"It has been very poignant for me as Mladic was convicted yesterday.

"It was such as sense of occasion and I am humbled by the achievements of so many recipients like the principal of Glasgow University Sir Anton Muscatelli.

“It is an immense privilege to be able to take people out to Srebrenica to meet with survivors and hear their stories. 

“It is so important that we share them in Scotland to tackle hatred and intolerance because if genocide can happen there, it can happen everywhere."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, who have all visited Srebrenica with Dr Hood, said they were thrilled and delighted that she had been made an OBE.