A ROSSENDALE woman who helped turn a failing school into one of the top five per cent in the country has been recognised in the Queen's birthday honours.

Pamela Coward, 59, of Cowpe, has been made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for her services to education.

Middleton Technology College in Rochdale is now a 1,060-strong thriving school with massive inward investment via the Excellence in Cities strand, since taking over the reins in 1991.

Mrs Coward, who has been in teaching for 34 years, dedicated the accolade to the community, staff and governors who have helped turn the school "into one the whole community can be proud of".

She added: "Together we have built an excellent local school and I hope parents will now be proud to send their children there. I have had overwhelming support from the community."

Blackburn Council leader Bill Taylor today spoke of his delight at being knighted in the honours list but insisted: "Don't call me Sir!"

And he revealed he came close to turning down the honour because he feared it would make him less approachable to people living in Blackburn and Darwen.

The 53-year-old father of two becomes the first council leader from Blackburn and Darwen to be given the honour since Eddie George was knighted in 1966.

He has been awarded his knighthood for services to local government.

Coun Taylor, a councillor on Blackburn with Darwen Council since 1980, is among 509 people to be honoured in this year's list.

He will now travel down to London with his wife Anne, 52, son Matt, 21, and daughter Katherine, 17, to be knighted at Buckingham Palace in the near future.

Coun Taylor, who lives in the Corporation Park area of Blackburn and is also a youth and community worker for Lancashire County Council in the Ribble Valley, said: "For me, it really is business as usual.

"It is a great honour and I am very humbled by it. It certainly isn't something I ever expected to be awarded.

Geoffrey Braithwaite, of Downham, was awarded the MBE for services to the Clitheroe and surrounding community. He said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to bits and it was quite a shock. It's important to recognise that you don't get these awards without the hard work and dedication for the people who work with you."

Mr Braithwaite, 65, is a charter member of Clitheroe Lions, having been involved since its formation in 1982 and has served as president, vice-president, secretary and keeper of the book -- the record of the president's year in office.

He was involved in the original appeal to raise money to build East Lancashire Hospice in 1979 and since has been a member of the hospice's committee for the last 20 years, and chairman since 1998.

He is also remembered in Clitheroe for his attempts to thwart a robbery at the town's sorting office in 1991 when he rammed a gang's getaway car with his van and pursued them on foot until they pulled a gun on him. The robbers were sentenced to 18 years in jail when they were caught.

Pauline Quinn, 58, of Cliffe Park, Great Harwood, was given an OBE for her services to women and children at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn.

Pauline, mother-of-two was the director of midwifery for the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health NHS for 13 years and now continues the post under the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust.

"I am the most proud of changing the mothers service round to making it more women focused and giving women choice in their maternity care. I have been in midwifery for 35 years and things have changed an awful lot.

"I am absolutely delighted and very surprised to be awarded the accolade and for once, being up there with the football stars! I must say a special thanks to everyone I have worked with and of course to those who nominated me."

Malcolm Smith, of Blackburn, was given the MBE for services to the board of visitors at HM Prison Lancaster.

Riaz Begum, 52, who lives in the Preston New Road area of Blackburn, was given an OBE honoured for her work with the borough's youth service.

She has worked there for 18 years, and back then it was run by Lancashire County Council.

Riaz said: "I couldn't stop laughing when I found out about it. It is something I never expected to happen.

"I never came into the job for the honour." , I came into it because I enjoy the job and get a lot of satisfaction out of it.

"It is an honour but one I never dreamt I would deserve."