BURNLEY'S Lady Towneley -- already applauded by the Princess Royal and Sports Minister Kate Hoey this year -- brought new honour to the town today when she was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The long-time campaigner for the creation of bridleways and riding for the disabled received the accolade for services to improving access to the countryside.

She headed a list of awards to people in Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale and Todmorden.

Also honoured with MBEs were:

Rawtenstall mum Kathy Fishwick, chairman of the National Council of Civic Trust Societies and an official of Rawtenstall Civic Society for a quarter of a century, who was honoured for her services to civic heritage in Lancashire.

Burnley historian and Liberal Democrat borough councillor Roger Frost, of Brierclife, chairman of Burnley Civic Trust, for services to the community.

Todmorden's "Mr Tourism", retired architect Jack Taylor, chairman of Todmorden Information Centre Trust, whose efforts led to the creation of a tourist centre which has attracted more than 350,000 visitors. He is honoured for services to the community in the town.

Sara Swann, for her child welfare work with Barnardos in Colne. Burnley Health Trust's medical director Dr Linda Patterson, who has risen to national prominence in the medical world, now receiving the OBE for services to medical management.

The MBE is the latest accolade for Lady Mary Towneley, of Dyneley Hall, wife of former Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire Sir Simon Towneley. Recently she received a special honour from Kate Hoey on behalf of the British Horse Society for her outstanding work over 40 years.

Sara Swann's work with child prostitutes has taken her from the the seedy red light areas of Bradford to Stockholm and an international conference on child abuse. Sara, who will celebrate her 50th birthday in two weeks, becomes an MBE for services to child welfare.

She has worked with children for the past 25 years, starting as a social worker and youth worker in Colne with Lancashire County Council. In 1994 she joined the charity Barnardo's to set up a project working with young girls in Bradford.

"I managed the project working with children involved in prostitution, in partnership with the council and the police and other agencies," explained Sara, of Trawden.

Her main aim was to get rid of the attitude that young prostitutes were "asking for it" and were, in fact, victims of child abuse. Coun Frost is a widely-respected historian and champion of heritage in the Burnley area. A long-serving member of Briercliffe Parish Council, he quit Burnley Council two years ago on a point of principle when it decided to close its printing department, which offered a unique service to schools. He romped home with a record majority in May's council elections when he decided to make a comeback.

He said: "I have to admit I am pleased -- although when I first saw the letter marked OHMS, I thought it was a letter from the Inland Revenue!"

Dr Patterson's award comes at a time when she is quitting her post of five years as medical director of Burnley Health Care Trust -- to take on an important new role as medical director of the powerful Commission for Health Improvement.

She is one of only 14 board members on the Government-ordered body which is charged with improving the quality of clinical care nationally. Dr Patterson, who lives with her partner in Hebden Bridge, joined Burnley hospitals as a consultant physician, specialising in the care of the elderly, in 1986. Although she has stepped down from the top job on the trust board, she will continue wo work on a part time basis at the Burnley hospital.