A SELFLESS teacher who donated a kidney to one of his pupils is celebrating after being honoured by the Royal Family.

Ray Coe, 53, of Kingsmere, Thundersley, was invited to Buckingham Palace to collect his MBE from PrinceWilliam in recognition of his services to education.

Mr Coe, who has been hailed a lifesaver, hit the headlines in April 2014 after stepping in to help Alya Ahmed, 13, after learning she was desperate for a transplant donor.

She suffers from a condition called hydrocephalus, which causes water on the brain and has left her with severe learning difficulties.

The youngster, a pupil at the Royal Docks Community School, in Newham, East London, where Mr Coe works as a special needs co-coordinator, also suffered renal failure.

Mr Coe, who previously taught at the Deanes School, in Thundersley, dedicated his MBE to his beloved father who died at the weekend.

He said: “It was a whirlwind day.

“My dad passed away on Saturday, so in a way that made it much more memorable and special, and for me it was all in honour of him. Considering there were 78 people collecting medals and I was one of the last, Prince William was very gracious and made sure he spoke to everyone.

“He certainly gave us all that personal touch.

“I never imagined this would happen when I decided to go for the transplant a year ago.

“To me, it was simple. There was a need for a kidney donor and I could meet that need.”

Mr Coe, who was accompanied to the ceremony by his wife and daughter, previously said being included in the New Year’s Honours List was the perfect end to a “surreal” year.

He was named Teacher of the Year at the Pride of Britain Awards in October, and was included in the 2014 Happy List, which celebrates inspirational people across the country.