Tory MP, kick-boxer and Saffie’s headteacher among 17 from Lancashire in New Year’s Honours List

Three professors, a kick-boxing coach and a police inspector are also included in the list which rewards more than 1,100 of Britain's great and good for their service nationally and locally during 2022.

Top of the list in the Red Rose county are three government figures and a university lecturer who each receive a CBE.

Conservative MP Andrew Stephenson, who has represented Pendle in the House of Commons for the past 12 years, picks up the honour for his political and public service. The 41-year-old has held a raft of ministerial roles during the past five years and is currently the Government Whip. He was also Conservative Party co-chairman with the job of overseeing the selection of a new leader following Boris Johnson's resignation as Prime Minister in the summer.

Two high-ranking civil servants from Lancashire also pick up a CBE. The honour goes to Janet Alexander, from Preston, who is director of compliance operations for HM Revenue and Customs. Ms Alexander receives the award for her public service. And Nageshwara Dwarampudi Reddy, from Lytham St Annes, also gets a CBE for working as portfolio director with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Professor of Ecology at the University of Manchester, Prof Richard David Bardgett, who lives in Carnforth, is rewarded with a CBE for services to soil ecology and climate change science.

Lancashire's only OBE goes to Christan Upton who is headteacher at Tarleton Community Primary School. In May 2017 he helped his school community cope with the devastating news that one of the pupils - eight-year-old Saffie-Rose Roussos - was the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing. He later wrote a book called "Searching for the Sparkle: A School's Journey of Recovery." Mr Upton also launched a charity called the "Sparkle Bean," dedicating all the proceeds of the book to providing small grants to primary schools in the sad event of the sudden death of a pupil.

The county has six recipients of an MBE in the Honours List including Preston consultant neurosurgeon Professor Nihal Trevor Gurusinghe who is recognised for his charitable services. Blackpool Professor Dr Syed Naseem Naqvi, president of the British Blockchain Association, is made an MBE for services to blockchain and distributed ledger technologies - secure databases which play a crucial role in cryptocurrency systems such as Bitcoin.

William Fletcher, who lives in Clitheroe, becomes an MBE for his service to disadvantaged communities. Blackburn-based Anne Patricia Gornall also receives an MBE for services to further education and skills. She works as executive director of the Greater Manchester Provider Network.

Yanina Marie Beavers from Fleetwood is made an MBE for her services to the community in Blackpool. And Sharon Patricia Bell of Poulton-le-Fylde also picks up an MBE to recognise her work as an associate service manager for the Department for Work and Pensions.

British Empire Medals have also been awarded to six people from Lancashire. BEM's are recommended by the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, not the monarch and the Prince of Wales.

South Ribble councillor Paul Wharton-Hardman, from Leyland, gets his BEM for services to the community in Lancashire - particularly during Covid-19. Paul is a former Tory member of the authority, who later served as an Independent Conservative and now represents the Farington East ward as a Labour councillor.

Kick-boxing instructor Allan Peter Clarkin from Burnley gets the BEM for services to martial arts in Lancashire. Greater Manchester Police Inspector James (Jim) Jones, who lives in Rossendale, also receives the BEM for services to policing and the armed forces. He works to improve the way police forces work with military veterans.

Leyland charity worker Joan Musker gets the BEM for her services to the community in the town "particularly during Covid-19." Joan was voted Volunteer of the Year in 2020 in the South Ribble Council Community Awards.The BEM also goes to Burnley-based Nigel Trevor Rix for services to the community in Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley. Nigel, a regeneration consultant, is a former chairman of the Ribble Valley Gateway Trust and chair of the Clitheroe Christians in Partnership.

And another Clitheroe resident, 84-year-old John Philip Lord, gets his BEM for services to the environment as chair of the Ribble Rivers Trust. John has spent a lifetime working to improve rivers and was instrumental in creating the Trust which he has chaired for more than 22 years.

The Trust works to improve, protect and promote the river Ribble and its 753-mile catchment. His leadership has also seen hundreds of hectares of peat moorland restored and more than 200,000 trees planted to reduce flood risk. He was also a founder member and trustee of the National Rivers Trust.

Nationally, in the world of sport and entertainment, four of England's triumphant Lionesses football squad are recognised in the Honours List as a reward for winning the Euro Championships in the summer. Skipper Leah Williamson is given an OBE for leading the side to victory, while star full-back Lucy Bronze, all-time England top scorer Ellen White and 'Golden Boot' winner Beth Mead all pick up an MBE.

Other sports stars past and present to make the list this year include former Spurs and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings who gets a CBE. Scotland football captain Andy Robertson is made an MBE. as is TV pundit and former player Chris Kamara for his charity and anti-racism work.

Former athlete Denise Lewis becomes a Dame Commander as president of Commonwealth Games England. And England netball star Jade Clarke gets an MBE.

In entertainment Queen lead guitarist Brian May is knighted for services to music. Sir Grayson Perry is made a CBE and Born Free co-founder Virginia McKenna becomes a Dame for her work in wildlife conservation.