Fleet Street legend Dame Ann Leslie has been lined up by Birmingham Press Club as the main speaker for its next celebrity dinner event in May.

Ann, pictured left, will visit the Midlands to talk about her lengthy career as a reporter for the Daily Mail during which she has been shot at by Bosnian snipers, stood beside the prison gates when Nelson Mandela was released, and witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall.

After beginning her career as a showbiz reporter, interviewing the likes of David Niven, James Mason, Merle Oberon and Muhammed Ali, she switched to the role of foreign correspondent.

Since then, she has covered many of the key moments of the history of the world, including every US presidential election since 1976, and has reported from more than 70 countries.

Still writing regularly for the Mail, Dame Ann has recently published her autobiography, ‘Killing My Own Snakes.’

Press Club chairman John Lamb said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the career of one of the greatest ever reporters – surely an accolade to which every journalist aspires.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to make her an honorary life member of the Press Club and look forward to hearing from one of the media’s greatest figures.”

Dame Ann said of her forthcoming visit: “I’ve done work in Birmingham on and off but this is the first time I’ll be coming here for fun.”