Unsung heroes today joined multi-millionaire businessmen and community leaders from across Leicestershire on the Queen's New Year's Honours List.

They included driving instructor Julia Malkin, who thought she had received an unwelcome tax bill when the letter from the Queen dropped through her Glenfield letterbox.

She said: "My husband Colin brought the brown envelope in and said 'This says On Her Majesty's Service. What have you been doing?'.

"I told him not to be silly and that it was probably a demand for some more tax.

"When I opened it I could not believe my eyes. It is wonderful. I did not think things like this happened to people like me."

Julia, 43, who has Asperger's Syndrome and teaches people with ADHD and autism how to drive, has been given an MBE for services to people with special needs.

Grandmother Ann Crabtree, 68, of Hinckley, was so shocked to receive notification of her MBE she did not reply for three days.

She is chair of governors at Burbage Church of England Infant School and works with the Burbage Heritage Group, the Burbage Youth Group and The Meadows Community Group, while previously being secretary of Burbage Cricket Club for many years.

She said: "It is a great honour and privilege to be able to receive such an award from the Queen."

When solicitor Peter Smith received an official-looking envelope containing news of his MBE, he thought he was being served with a writ.

Mr Smith, a consultant with Rich & Carr Phillips & Powell, in Wigston, has been involved with Menphys – which provides care for children and young people with disabilities and supports their families – since it started 41 years ago. The Knighton resident said: "I am absolutely honoured."

Dave Houseman, 66, from Syston, gets an MBE for services to local government, after 18 years in politics. Currently the county councillor for Syston Fosse, he has served on the parish, town and borough councils.

He said: " I am just a normal councillor who tries to do what's best for the people I represent."

The Rev Canon Dr Andrew Wingate is to receive an OBE for inter-faith relations and for serving the community in Leicester.

Dr Wingate, a founding director of the St Philip's cultural centre in Evington, said: "I would like to think this is for the work which could only have been achieved with the Bishop of Leicester, the faiths and the people of the city."

Multi-millionaire Dr David Wilson, head of the Leicestershire home building empire and a philanthropist, is to receive a CBE for services to young people.

Richard Everard, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire and chairman of the family brewing firm Everards, gets an OBE for services to the community, while Richard Edward Dominic Langford, from Edith Weston, in Rutland, is to get an OBE for services to sailing and windsurfing. Indian artist Sarup Singh Dhandia gets an MBE for services to art in Leicester and Professor Tudor Bowden Jones receives an MBE for services to science.

Rita Kathleen Nicholls gets an MBE for services to the community in Lutterworth, and sitar player and teacher Dharambir Singh Dhadyalla has an MBE for services to Indian music.

William Albert Swinford, of Evington, gets his MBE for services to the elderly community in Evington.

Angela Wallace receives an MBE for voluntary service to Cossington Primary School.

World of pop, film and sports celebrated

Pop star Annie Lennox receives an OBE in the New Year Honours List today for her work fighting Aids and poverty in Africa.

The former Eurythmics singer heads a host of entertainment and sport stars awarded honours, including Poirot actor David Suchet and Ryder Cup-winning golfer Graeme McDowell. Also recognised are football referee Howard Webb and actress Sheila Hancock.

Some of the honours for senior figures from the business world could prove controversial.

There are knighthoods for Martin Broughton, chairman of British Airways, Roger Carr, chairman of energy giant Centrica, and Richard Lambert, the outgoing director-general of the CBI.

This year, Sir Roger, 64, who lives in London, has presided over a huge increase in profits at Centrica-owned British Gas and the hotly-disputed sale of Cadbury to US food giant Kraft.

The list also features the first honours for MPs since June 2008, when Peter Viggers, whose claim for a duck house became the emblem of the expenses scandal, was knighted for services to Parliament.

Anne Begg, 55, the first full-time wheelchair user elected to Parliament in 1997, is made a dame for services to disabled people and equal opportunities.

Lady Antonia Fraser, 78, best-selling author of biographies and award-winning actress Harriet Walter have been made dames.

A CBE is awarded to Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen, 41, who directed the 2008 film Hunger about the 1981 hunger strikes.