Ray Winstone ‘very proud’ after receiving Freedom of the City of London

English actor Ray Winstone has said he is “very proud to be a Londoner” after receiving the Freedom of the City of London.

Born in Hackney, the 68-year old, who starred in The Departed and King Of Thieves, was honoured on Wednesday at a ceremony in central London in recognition of his fundraising and charitable work.

Known for his distinct East End accent and for playing a range of “hard man” characters including ex-criminal Gary “Gal” Dove in Sexy Beast, Winstone has also been a lifelong supporter of a number of causes including the West Ham United Foundation, the official charity of West Ham United Football Club.

Ray Winstone has been honoured (Ian West/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Ian West

He also supports the ICAP Charity Day, a fundraising event which sees ICAP and City brokers donate 100% of one day’s revenue to charity.

Winstone said: “Today, more than ever, I am a very proud Londoner and if my mum and dad were still here to see me receiving the Freedom of the City of London, I know that it would have meant the world to them – as it does me.

“This has been such a special day for me, and I am very grateful to Lady Mayor Sue Langley for hosting my guests and I at The Mansion House, and to Alastair King and William Russell for nominating me.”

Over the course of five decades, Winstone has appeared in films including Quadrophenia, Cold Mountain, Sexy Beast, and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.

He has also appeared in TV series such as The Bill, Ever Decreasing Circles, One Foot In The Grave, Boon, and Birds Of A Feather.

Ray Winstone has starred in many films (Aaron Chown/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Aaron Chown

Winstone was nominated by the former lord mayors of the City of London, Sir William Russell and Alistair King, who served last year.

He accepted the award at a ceremony held at Lady Mayor Dame Susan Langley’s official residence, The Mansion House.

Dame Susan said: “Ray Winstone may have earned his ‘hard man’ credentials on screen but, off screen, he’s always had a big heart, as you can really see in his charitable work.

“West Ham means a lot to both of us: it’s the club that we’ve both supported for years, and it’s the area where I was born, so it’s been a real joy to see him receive this recognition today.”

Winstone recently participated in a live sculpting event in support of a veteran’s charity which he described as “an honour”, adding that his involvement was not about “supporting a war” but about “supporting our kids”.

Actor Ray Winstone took part in a live sculpting event (Maja Smiejkowska/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Maja Smiejkowska

Royal sculptor Frances Segelman created a bust of Winstone at an event for Blesma, a military charity that supports limbless veterans.

The Freedom of the City of London is a way of paying tribute to an individual’s outstanding contribution to public life and is believed to have begun in 1237.

Previous recipients include Hollywood star Cate Blanchett, choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne, comedian Sir Lenny Henry and former Olympic Commonwealth Games athlete Lady Mary Peters.