WITH her 60th birthday behind her and a grandson to dote on, Lancaster's Dr Ruth Henig is preparing for a new career as a life peer in the House of Lords.

The appointment, announced at the weekend, brings the title of Baroness to the proud grandmother and county councillor for John O'Gaunt and Bulk wards.

Dr Henig has vowed to use her new high-profile post to voice local residents' concerns nationally.

"It is an honour and I am delighted. As I shall be the only peer from North Lancashire, it will be a great opportunity for me to continue to raise local issues such as health, education and safer communities at a national level," she says.

The daughter of Jewish refugees, Dr Henig came to Britain from Holland in 1940.

She is a former dean of arts and humanities at Lancaster Univer-sity, where she taught history for 34 years until her recent retirement.

Dr Henig has chaired Lancashire Police Authority since its creation in 1995 and has been involved in high-profile advisory groups, notably the Home Office steering group on the Lawrence enquiry recommendations and the Street Crime Action Group 2002, chaired by the Prime Minister.

She also chairs the National Association of Police Authorities and was awarded the CBE in 2000 in recognition of her contributions to policing services.

Locally, Dr Henig chairs both the Lancaster Community Safety Partnership and the Lancaster regeneration/Euro-pean developmental zone.

She is a governor at Central Lancaster High School, serves as a magistrate in Lancaster's criminal and family courts, and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire in 2002.

She has two sons - Simon and David - and lives in Wray with her husband Jack Johnston.

"It is an exciting opportunity to have a new career," she admits.

"For the next year I shall divide my time between Lancaster and London. There are advantages as I could raise things in the House of Lords for Lancaster."

Dr Henig will decide her official title over the coming weeks, though it is unlikely to be 'Baroness Henig of Lancaster' because of the Duchy of Lancaster's claim to the city's name.

"I definitely want to have something local as I see myself as representing North Lancashire," she says.