COLONEL Tom Moore, the centenarian who stole the hearts of the nation with his heroic fundraising effort for the NHS in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, is to become a knight of the realm.

The “exceptional” award, expected to be bestowed by the Queen, is to be made following a special nomination from Boris Johnson.

“Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus,” declared the Prime Minister.

“On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He’s a true national treasure.”

The Second World War veteran became a national hero after raising no less than £33 million for the NHS – a Guinness World Record - having walked 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden.

Last night, Sir Keir Starmer expressed his congratulations to Sir Tom on his knighthood.

“In these difficult times for our country, Tom brought inspiration to millions and helped all of us to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our NHS.

“After serving his country during the war, Tom recognised that today’s heroes are our frontline NHS and care workers. In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future,” said the Labour leader.

The UK Government is also set to give further details on its plans for how Britain’s frontline heroes, who have been fighting coronavirus across the country, will be honoured in the coming months and how the public will be able to play their part.

“We know there is huge appetite to say thank you to all those supporting the nation during this emergency and doing incredible things day in, day out, up and down the country,” said a Government spokesman.

“We will ensure these unsung heroes are recognised in the right way, at the right time,” he added.