Former MP and rail enthusiast returned to his former constituency to unveil a plaque in honour of a renowned locomotive engineer.

Michael Portillo, who was the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate from 1984 to 1997, returned to Hadley Wood rail station to unveil a plaque in honor of the famous engineer Sir Nigel Gresley, who lived in the area during his lifetime and designed one of the most iconic steam engines - The Flying Scotsman.

Hadley Wood Rail User joined forces with The Gresley Society Trust to design and fund the memorial to Sir Nigel and welcomed more than 300 people to its unveiling on Saturday.

In his unveiling speech Mr Portillo said: "Sir Nigel Gresley is a name that still provokes an extraordinarily emotional response.

"When I travelled on Flying Scotsman last year, there were so many people in the crowds to greet it that there were police to control them; but the police who were meant to be controlling the crowds were actually photographing the train.

"These locomotives were superb pieces of engineering and they do seem to capture our imagination in the most extraordinary way."

Sir Nigel lived in Hadley Wood from 1923 to 1929 and his works are continued symbols of the modern age: the flying Scotsman was the first locomotive recorded to travel over 100 mph in passenger service, and Mallard, another of his engines, still holds the world record for the fastest steam train at 126 mph.Chair of the Rail User Group, Francesca Caine, and Sir Nigel's grandson, Ben Godfrey and his daughter, Nina, also joined for the unveiling.

Philip Benham, The Gresley Society Trust chairman, said: "The fact that Sir Nigel Gresley was a commuter from here makes Hadley Wood particularly special and I’m delighted that the Hadley Wood Rail User Group have wanted to mark this particular period in his life.

"It’s a great pleasure to see so many people here. This station has vastly improved since the days when I was Area Manager in the 1980s – particularly the improvements in access for those who might not find moving around so easy."

The station recently had a new ramp added to help disabled people better access the platform.

Also adding to the celebrations were children from the two local primary schools who were presented their awards for taking part in a competition from the Rail User Group, while those from Monken Hadley CE Primary School performed a song specially written for the occasion.

The event not only commemorated a great engineer but also raised £1,000 for Inclusion Barnet, the local deaf and disabled people’s organisation which works towards a more accessible society for all, chosen for its affinity with the station’s step free entrance.