LIBERAL Democrat MP for Frome, Anna Sabine, has confirmed she is recovering from recent thyroid surgery which has temporarily affected her voice.

The operation, carried out at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, resulted in an injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve that controls the vocal cords.

This has left Anna's voice very quiet for now, so constituents who meet her over the coming weeks may notice the difference.

It is the same type of injury suffered by BBC broadcaster Nick Robinson following surgery in 2015, which affected his voice for a period before he made a full recovery and returned to presenting the Today programme.

Anna said: "Anyone who knows me knows I'm rarely lost for words, so these last couple of weeks without much of a voice have been quite an adjustment.

“But I'm in good company; Nick Robinson went through exactly the same thing after his surgery, and he's back on the radio every morning sounding exactly like himself. That's given me real confidence about what's ahead.

"I'm now focused on giving myself the best possible chance of a full recovery, which means a further period of voice rest over the summer.

“I’ve had wonderful care from so many people at the RUH and my local GP practice and have various follow-up appointments happening in July to check on progress and plan next steps including with a Speech and Language Therapy team.

"This will not stop me being an effective voice for Frome & East Somerset.

“My team and I are continuing to work on every issue that matters to residents, from bus services to healthcare, and constituents should keep contacting my office as normal.

"When Parliament returns in September, I expect to need some practical adaptations to make sure I can continue to represent this constituency fully, whether that's in the Chamber, in committee, or in meetings.

The MP added: ”I'm confident, working with the House authorities, that we can put the right arrangements in place, and I won't let this get in the way of doing the job I was elected to do.”

Anna's office continues to operate as normal throughout her recovery, and constituents with casework or enquiries are encouraged to contact the team in the usual way.