A man who has spent his life working to improve rivers has received a BEM from King Charles III.

John Philip Lord, 84, created and chairs the Ribble Rivers Trust which helps to improve, protect and promote the River Ribble and its 753-mile catchment.

John, from Clitheroe, has been named in the New Year’s honours list, the King Charles' first set of honours following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

John, who has been chair for 22 years, grew the trust from six volunteers into a successful charity with an active team of 30 employees who have improved water quality and river habitats.

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He said: “I am very pleased of course but the truth is the real credit must go to the staff of the trust.

“We have built this up to an organisation with 30 staff.

“I may but putting ideas forward but the real work is done by Jack Spees the chief executive and the staff.

“The trust members who sit on the committee put in a lot of work and everyone involved deserves the recognition.”

John has had an interest in fishing for about 60 years and said he has been watching the rivers deteriorate during his life.

When he lived in Rochdale, John spoke with a local representative about the River Roach as he was shocked that it was filled with sewage.

After being told that nothing could be done, John knew he wanted to do something so he went on to set up the River Ribble Trust.

John added: “From there onwards, I have taken a real interest in rivers.

“I came to live in the Ribble Valley and I have watched similar things happen here.

“I am also really interested in climate change which is having damaging effect on the rivers.

“Me and five other people started the trust after being told we could get a grant.

“We got our first £100,000 and now, years later, we are now running a very well-established trust.”

Projects include tree planting, education programmes and establishing nature reserves, and have benefited hundreds of thousands of people.

Work has also improved a fish passage at more than 70 obstructions within the catchment, returning a range of fish species to places they had long been absent, including returning salmon to Burnley and Colne for the first time in nearly 200 years.

Hundreds of hectares of peat moorland has been restored and more than 200,000 trees have planted to reduce flood risk during his leadership.

His collaborative approach with local communities has enabled them to enjoy and protect their local rivers and streams, delivering everything from litter picks and invasive species control, to improving footpaths and creating walk guides.

The group also go out into school classrooms, educating children about rivers and fish, with the children being given baby trout which they watch grow before letting them out into the river.

He has also helped to deliver the Primrose Nature Reserve, which was a neglected site now transformed into a place for local people to enjoy and learn about rivers.

He became a founder member and trustee of the National Rivers Trust, which saw his contribution expand from Lancashire and Yorkshire to England and Wales.