A Royal Navy Warrant Officer from Saundersfoot has been awarded an MBE in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) Dave Deakin, who is currently serving at HMS Raleigh, has been recognised for his involvement in a project to build a new replenishment-at-sea (RAS) training rig at the Cornish base. The modern facility was formally opened last September and is designed to teach sailors how to transfer stores and fuel from ship-to-ship at sea. It includes representative platforms of ships replenishment stations where sailors can get hands-on experience of the task and a dedicated building for classroom instruction and administration, which bears the name of 'Deakin Building'.

With 28 years experience of the task, WO1 Deakin's commitment was invaluable to the project.

He said: "To be recognised with such a prestigious award is an honour. Being actively involved with this enormous and influential project, involving numerous organisations and some very enthusiastic people, was an absolute pleasure."

WO1 Deakin is a former pupil of Greenhill Comprehensive School, who joined the Royal Navy in 1981. He has served on a number of ships, including the Aircraft Carrier HMS Invincible during the Falklands conflict. The 50-year-old holds medals for service in the Gulf and for operations in the Adriatic, along with a medal and clasp rewarding 30 years of long service and good conduct. He has also held appointments ashore in a training capacity and served in Antigua where he taught seamanship and leadership to the local coastguard force.

Now living in Plymouth, WO1 Deakin is still a visitor to Saundersfoot to see his mother, Gwen, and wider family and friends.

Also recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List is Stephen Sutcliffe, who receives the BEM for his work leading a project to renovate Skokholm Island off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Sixty-eight-year-old Stephen, who many locally will know as a member of Tenby Golf Club, has been involved with conservation in the county since he was a teenager and has worked on all the local islands and was previously a warden on Skomer for 10 years.

Of his award, he said it was "lovely and quite a surprise", but was a tribute to the team of 80 volunteeers he led on the island project.

Dyfed Powys Police Chief Constable Simon Prince, meanwhile, has been awarded the Queen's Policing Medal.

Offering his congratulations, Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon said: "The award reflects a career dedicated to protecting the public in Dyfed Powys, and previously in Gwent. I am extremely grateful to Simon for all his work and, on behalf of the residents of Dyfed Powys, offer him my congratulations."