A soldier has been honoured for exceptional service to the army for more than 40 years.

Gordon Hardaker, 61, of Holyoak Avenue, Bingley, was awarded the Lord Lieutenant High Honour - which ranks immediately below an MBE - in recognition of years of dedicated service to the Territorial Army.

Staff Sergeant Hardaker left Bradford to join the army on a Junior Leader Course in Newton Abbot when he was just 15.

He served in the regular army for 25 years, spending a number of years in Germany, and has been on the permanent staff of the 34 Royal Signals Territorial Army in Carlton Barracks, Leeds, for the last 34 years. He said: "Being in the army is a way of life more that a job and I have enjoyed it immensely.

"I am surprised and greatly honoured to have been recognised in this way.

"In am coming up to retirement and I am proud to have served Queen and Country for so long and of course very proud to have been given this honour."

Lieutenant Commander David Dennis of the Reserved Forces said: "Gordon's citation highlights his total dedication to the Territorial Army and his fine example as a conscientious and professional Senior NCO and the high esteem in which he is held throughout the regiment.

"It goes on to commend him for his willingness to pass on his vast experience of the military to his Regular and TA counterparts."

Staff Sgt Hardaker has been married for 34 years and has two sons Michael, 32 and Adrian, 30.

His wife Joan, 67, said: "I am thrilled he has been given this award. He has an awful lot of years with the army. Staff Sgt Hardaker was given the award at a ceremony at the Huddersfield TA Centre.

A military band played at the investiture and HM Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Dr Ingrid Roscoe awarded a total of nine certificates to volunteers from the Reserve Forces and Cadet Services across West Yorkshire.

The Lord Lieutenant High Honour is bestowed once a year by the Lord Lieutenant of each county.

Between eight and 12 awards are made in each area.

Brigadier Nigel Wood, chief executive of the Reserve Forces and Cadet Association for Yorkshire and the Humber, said the award was very prestigious and only made to people who had spent ten years in the reserve forces.