A FORMER Strangeways Prison governor rubbed shoulders with royalty at a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) investiture at Buckingham Palace.

It was a proud day for Robin Halward and his family when he received his CB medal from Prince Charles at the ceremony. Robin, who was forced to take early retirement due to ill health, was appointed a CB in the New Years Honours List.

After joining the Prison Service in 1973, he was initially appointed housemaster at a Borstal near Huntingdon and between 1977-80 was wing manager at a top security prison in Market Harborough. Between 1980 and 1984, he was a tutor at the Prison Service College in Wakefield.

Later, Mr Halward was appointed deputy governor of Strangeways from 1984-88 and was governor from 1992 to 1995 during the rebuilding and full reopening of the prison after the riot of April 1990.

He went on to be Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service from 1998 to 2002 and until retirement in June last year was Deputy Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office. He is currently a non-executive director of Bury Primary Care Trust.

The 53-year-old, who has lived in Prestwich for the last 21 years, was accompanied at the investiture by his wife Val and children Elizabeth and Richard, who were both educated at Park View primary school, Prestwich High School and Bury College.

Commenting on the honour, Mr Halward said: "I was delighted to be appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on my retirement from the Home Office."

He added: "I see it in part as recognition of the importance of the work done by the prison and immigration services. The investiture was a memorable day.

"I retired early because of ill health. I've had cancer since 1985 and towards the end of 2003 it took a turn for the worse which involved ten months of chemotherapy which fortunately stabilised things, at least for the present."