A public relations executive has walked off with one of the most coveted prizes in the industry,

Robert Minton-Taylor, 54, has been named Outstanding Independent Public Relations Consultant 2002.

Mr Minton-Taylor, who works from home in Cononley, won the PR equivalent of the Oscars at an awards ceremony in London hosted by the Institute of Public Relations.

The award, which received more than 300 entries, was won by a man with Scandinavian-based shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen as a client.

Mr Minton-Taylor said: "I'm still trying to come to terms with all of this. I feel a bit like Terry Venables.

"When I left London after a 27-year international career in journalism and public relations, most PR pundits predicted my high-flying PR days were over.

"No one believed that moving to Yorkshire was a good idea. It was assumed I'd either fallen off planet earth or retired,

"I've proved them all wrong. I'm delighted as a Yorkshireman to have made it on my own terms and in my own time!"