A CIVIC watchdog chairman has won praise for campaigning to save Harrogate's Royal Hall.

Lilian Mina, chairman of Harrogate Civic Society, who has also chaired the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, was publicly thanked for her efforts by members at the annual meeting of the society.

Members paid tribute to her tenacity and enthusiasm for restoration and a formal vote of thanks was moved, to applause, by Geoffrey Armitage.

The annual meeting was held just hours after it was announced by officials at the Heritage Lottery Fund that a five-month extension, until the end of December, had been granted to allow Harrogate Borough Council time to develop plans to restore the Royal Hall within an £8m budget.