WELL-KNOWN local barrister Stephen Wood has been appointed a Queen’s Counsel.

Mr Wood, 51, a prominent criminal barrister, has prosecuted and defended many high-profile cases at Bradford Crown Court over the past 25 years.

He has been at the city’s Broadway House Chambers since 1991, featuring in hundreds of serious trials, from multiple murder and manslaughter to firearms and drugs offences, serious fraud and sexual allegations.

Mr Wood is one of the few members of the Bar to be appointed to the Crown Prosecution Service’s Serious Crime Panel and he is often called upon to represent clients at the Court of Appeal in London.

In 2016, he provided the legal expertise for television drama, National Treasure, partly filmed in Bradford City Hall’s old court rooms.

Mr Wood said he wanted to bring as much realism as possible to the court scenes in the four-part series, starring Robbie Coltrane and Julie Walters.

Mr Wood, who lives in the Halifax area, is married with four children. His wife, Trish, works with the witness service at Bradford Crown Court.

His hobbies include walking his dog, cooking and travelling to Jersey.

He said of his appointment: “I am very honoured to have been appointed as Queen’s Counsel. I will always be grateful for the support of my family, my colleagues in Chambers and the local judiciary.

“Bradford is my professional home and I am very lucky to have spent my entire career in this great city.”