BARBARA Austin, the unofficial First Lady of Lyme Regis has been made an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to the town.

At 77, the six-times mayor, three times deputy and mother-of-five has no intention of slowing down or stopping any of the things she does to help organisations.

Mrs Austin said she could not be prouder or more surprised.

She said: “When I got the letter I thought it was a hoax.”

She is president of the football club, Junior Band and Save the Children. She is a town councillor, was mayor six times and deputy three, is a trustee for the Club for Young People, chairman of the Christmas lights, secretary/treasurer of the over 70s Christmas lunch and used to be on the committee for Joseph Weld before it disbanded, as well as masterminding a lot of one-off fundraising for worthy causes.

Born and bred in Lyme, Mrs Austin has already been honoured with the Freedom of the City of London when Lyme was twinned with Bermuda and has been to one of the Queen’s garden parties.

“I have enjoyed being involved with so many things because I love the town.

“It’s an absolutely wonderful honour, something in my wildest dreams I would never have thought of,” she said.

Former Woodroffe School pupil Royal Navy Commander David Hunkin, 41, has been honoured with an OBE for his work as commander of a mine countermeasures squadron in the Gulf with 22 vessels and more than 700 personnel.

He has served with HRH Duke of York on HMS Cottesmore, worked with the UN in Georgia alongside a Russian peacekeeping force and in helping with earthquake relief in Kashmir.

Cmdr Hunkin, who had to pull out of a talk to Woodroffe pupils earlier this year because of his posting, said of his award: “This was very much a coalition effort. Supported by a great UK and US team, it was a privilege to work alongside Iraqi and Kuwaiti forces in helping them make their waters safer.

“Receiving this award is a huge honour and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude not only to all those who took part in the operation but also to the families who so often face long periods of separation, sometimes with very little information from the front line.”