THE former Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sir Maurice Johnston, said he was thrilled to bits to be awarded the Royal Victorian Order in the New Year's Honours List, which was announced on Friday.

As opposed to the other honours, the CVO as it is known is not on the list of those recommended by 10 Downing Street but is a direct gift from the Queen herself.

Sir Maurice, who stood down as the Lord Lieutenant at the end of November, said: "It is a fitting end to eight and a half years as the Queen's representative in the county."

His wife, Belinda, recently retired as a magistrate on the Kennet bench after 22 years and now the couple can enjoy their retirement. Sir Maurice said: "We can now wake up on a Tuesday morning and say, what shall we do today?"

Sir Maurice and Lady Johnston moved to their present home in Worton, near Devizes, in 1977 when Sir Maurice was posted as Brigadier on the staff of Army HQ at Wilton.

Even before he left the Army, he was involved in organising major community events in Wiltshire. He was asked to co-ordinate the first ever Wiltshire County Show in 1979 and raised an astonishing sum of £33,000 for charity.

He was High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1992/93 and took over as Lord Lieutenant from Sir Roland Gibbs in 1996.

Another public servant with a long history of selfless devotion to duty recognised in the New Year's Honours List is Roy Denning, who retired in December after 52 years' association with policing, joining Bristol Constabulary in August 1952 as a 15-year-old cadet. He becomes an MBE.

Now living in Swindon, he joined Wiltshire Constabulary in 1966 as a sergeant and rose steadily through the ranks, reaching the position of Acting Assistant Chief Constable before he retired in 1987.

He then took up a civilian post with the force and ended up as director of finance and facilities with the Wiltshire Police Authority when it was hived off from the county council.