New Year Honours 2018: Lindsay Hoyle MP knighted

Prior to entering Parliament Lindsay Hoyle was a member of Chorley Council

The Commons deputy speaker, and Labour MP for Chorley, Lindsay Hoyle has been knighted in the New Year Honours list.

Prior to entering Parliament, Mr Hoyle, 60, was a member of Chorley Council holding the post of deputy leader from 1994 to 1997.

Current council leader Alistair Bradley said Mr Hoyle would be "delighted to be Sir Lindsay" despite recently suffering the loss of his daughter.

Preston MP Mark Hendrick is "over the moon" to also become a knight.

Labour's Mr Hendrick first entered the European Parliament in 1994 representing the central Lancashire seat.

The 59-year-old said: "It's the people of Preston who've given me this opportunity and I really appreciate it and would like to dedicate it to them."

Labour's Mr Hendrick first entered the European Parliament in 1994

Mr Bradley said the knighthood for Mr Hoyle is "the least" he should get.

"It's a great privilege and honour for both him and the town of Chorley that his service has been recognised."

In December, the Labour MP was struck by a personal tragedy following the death of his 28-year-old daughter Natalie Lewis-Hoyle which, he said, left him "truly devastated".

'Humbled'

Jackie Daniel, chief executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said she was" humbled and honoured" to be made a dame for services to healthcare.

Other Lancashire appointments include deputy director of North West Prisons Alan Scott, who becomes a CBE and headteacher Pamela Birch, who has been credited with improving Hambleton Primary Academy in Poulton-le-Fylde.

Afrasiab Anwar is awarded an MBE for services to community cohesion following his work with Building Bridges Burnley, a partnership working with different faiths.

He said: "This honour is not just for me, I see it as being about the young people that we work with.

"We're actually saying to them that somebody from Burnley can amount to something, so if you aim high you can achieve high as well."