THREE North Yorkshire residents received MBEs in the New Year's Honours.

The man who led the reconstruction of a North-East bridge after it was washed away in the floods of 2000 said he was taken aback when the letter informing him of his MBE dropped through his letter box.

"To be honest, I thought someone at the office was winding me up," said North Yorkshire County Council team leader John Hunt, who co-ordinated the work to restore Richmond's Mercury Bridge. "You never think something like this is going to happen to you but it's a terrific way to retire."

Mr Hunt, 65, leaves the council at the end of next month and expects to have more time for gardening, DIY, walking and holidays.

He said: "I've just been lucky to have a great team of blokes behind me and I hope they can enjoy basking in the glory of the award as well. The way I see it, it's as much for them as for me."

Mr Hunt has had a hand in what he describes as 'all bridges great and small' in North Yorkshire.

He has been involved in crossings over the River Ure, the canal on Ripon's bypass, the Ouse on York's ring road and Kirkby Malzeard's Creets Bridge, which reopened this month after a three-year legal wrangle over restoration.

"But I suppose Richmond's Mercury Bridge was the toughest," he said. "It had to be done quickly but we also had to make sure everyone working on what was sometimes a dangerous project was safe."

Former bank manager, woollens expert, author and historian David Morris also received an MBE.

Mr Morris and wife, Grizel, fell in love with Swaledale, in the Yorkshire Dales, as visitors and made it their home after Mr Morris retired and left the world of finance behind in Newcastle.

They founded Swaledale Woollens at their home in Muker, using fleeces from local sheep to make sweaters, before once more retiring. The new owners sell its products around the world.

Mr Morris, whose award is for services to the community in Richmond and Swaledale, is a regular at Muker Show, where he judged fleeces this year, and a Richmond Civic Society member.

His interest in local history led him to write books on lead mining, the story of the Dukes of Richmond and the history of the River Swale.

He said: "I am exhilarated by the honour and, obviously very pleased, not only for myself but for my wife and the people up in the Dales."

Roger Stott, former chairman of Richmondshire District Council, was the third to be honoured.

Mr Stott, who represented Hawes and High Abbotside, is a former chairman of the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, which he still serves as a trustee, and an executive member of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council.

A founder member of the Yorkshire Dales Society, he was chairman of the Hawes Brass Band Competition and remains a supporter of Age Concern.

Honoured for his services to the community, Mr Stott said: "I see this honour as something for all the people of Hawes and High Abbotside."

Harold Evans, Fleet Street legend and former editor of Advertiser's sister paper The Northern Echo, received a knighthood in the New Year's Honours List.

The man once voted the greatest newspaper editor of all time picked up the honorary knighthood in the Diplomatic List, for services to journalism.

Mr Evans forged his reputation as editor of The Northern Echo from 1961 to 1966.

Jim Brown, the former chairman of Newsquest Media Group, The Advertiser's and The Northern Echo's parent company, has received a CBE.

Mr Brown of Surrey, has been honoured for his services to the regional newspaper industry