A Skipton pensioner's loyal service to her town and its community has been recognised by the Queen.

Betty Patchett, 85, has been awarded the MBE primarily for her 50-year service with Skipton Hospital Friends and its work to raise over £1 million to buy little "extras" for the hospital.

She was one of the founder members 50 years ago and has done a 10-year stint as its chairman.

The initial idea for the Friends came from her neighbour Norman Hodgson who collected tips from his taxi business and donated them to Skipton General to thank them for saving his life following a motorbike accident.

Despite being thrilled to receive her MBE Mrs Patchett said that she really thought Mr Hodgson, who had clocked up as many years' service really deserved the accolade.

In addition to her work with the Friends, Mrs Patchett led last year's fight to save Skipton General from closure by the Airedale NHS Trust. Its future is still undecided.

She has also been involved in the Skipton Operatic Society and helped organise Skipton Gala.

"I was brought up in the South Yorkshire coal mining areas where you always helped each other, unfortunately that has gone nowadays," said Mrs Patchett.

* Skipton-born PC David Stockport has also received a MBE.

Mr Stockport, 54, is the joint branch board secretary of North Yorkshire Police Federation, and is based in Knaresborough.

He said: "I am delighted. On a personal basis it shows that anyone in the organisation can receive recognition for bringing about change for the better.

"I am proud to be a member of North Yorkshire Police and to have done my part in trying to bring about what we all want - a safer and better environment for both residents and visitors to North Yorkshire."

Mr Stockport joined the police service as a cadet in the then West Riding Constabulary in 1966, and has since served in Bingley, Silsden, Skipton, Harrogate and Northallerton.

In 1972 he received an award from the Royal Humane Society for attempting to rescue a father and three children who were all tragically drowned in the River Aire at Steeton.

In 1980, whilst serving at Northallerton, Mr Stockport was elected to the Police Federation to represent Richmond Division.

He took up a full-time role as deputy secretary of the Federation in North Yorkshire in 1990 and was elected as joint branch board secretary in 1993.

He and his wife, Maggie, have two sons and three grandchildren.

* Former Barnoldswick man Malcolm Stansfield has been awarded an MBE for his services to agriculture and the Rotary Club.

Mr Stansfield, son of the late Jack and Mary Stansfield, attended Ermysted's Grammar School and studied agriculture at the University of Leeds. He moved to Reading in December 1959, after marrying his wife Mary, formerly of Hetton.

He has become one of the leading authorities on agricultural issues. He gained a Winston Churchill scholarship to study dairy farming in the USA, and has since held the posts of senior lecturer, manager of the farms and director of the farm management unit at Reading University for 42 years.

In the last few years, he has worked with the Royal Agricultural Society of England, as chief adviser, and he is now also the president of the International Farm Management Association.

Malcolm is also a well respected figure at his local church, and a keen Rotarian. He and Mary have three grown-up children and six grandchildren.