Keighley teenager Damyan Foster has won Yorkshire's Unsung Hero award in recognition of his work cleaning-up the local community.

Damyan, 16, driving force behind the Lawkholme Lane Action Group, was one of eight Yorkshire Young Achievers of the Year announced during a dinner at the Leeds United Banqueting Suite last night.

The winner of the Yorkshire Personality of the Year award was Malandra Burrows, Kathy Glover in Yorkshire Television's Emmerdale.

Former Lothersdale girl India Farmer, five, who now lives in Harrogate, was Yorkshire Youngster of the Year. She is battling against leukaemia.

Damyan is described as "an inspiration" by Keighley police's youth liaison officer PC Lee Holmes, who nominated the teenager for the award. The Lawkholme Lane Action Group has, under PC Holmes' guidance, cleaned up the Lawkholme area.

The group's achievements include persuading Bradford council to clean a graffiti-ridden subway under Hard Ings Road, working with the Council to tidy the gardens of elderly people and clearing the litter-strewn yard of All Saint's Church, Highfield.

Damyan also played a prominent part in the National Spring Clean 98 campaign.

"Along with other members of the group Damyan wanted to improve his community, so got up and did something about it," said PC Holmes. "It is a nice change to see good work being carried out in the community being rewarded, instead of the bad publicity that young people seem to attract."

Modest Damyan was surprised even to be nominated for an award. Having attended action group meetings since being invited along by a friend three years ago he describes himself as "just a member".

"I was really chuffed and shocked when I found out," he said. Damyan was one of 21 nominees shortlisted from hundreds.

A former pupil at Greenhead Grammar School, he is currently studying for a B-Tec National Diploma in Electro-Mechanical Engineering at Keighley College. A Sea Cadet, he hopes to join the Royal Navy or Police.

The awards, run by NCH Action for Children, recognise the achievement of young people in Yorkshire and Humberside. The gala dinner at which they were presented raised more than £20,000 for the charity.

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