Carl Scrivens, 50, of Glenridding was awarded a BEM for the work he has done in the village.

After the traumatic events of the flooding in December 2015, he worked tirelessly and selflessly to help the community recover and pull together.

From the first day of the floods he was central in clearing trees and debris under Glenridding Bridge. He spent Christmas Eve unblocking the drains of an elderly couple who were forced out of their home.

And he took off over two months from his work as an agricultural contractor to dedicate seven days a week to anyone in need, and his community, getting it back to the best condition possible.

He was also instrumental in setting up the Community Flood Group which is trying to ensure that the dale is never as badly affected by flooding in the future. Mr Scrivens leads the maintenance team who are responsible for checking beck measurements and managing water and gravel levels.

"I was dumbstruck to be honest," he said. "Lost for words."

Mr Scrivens came close to being completely unaware of his success. He nearly missed his award, mistaking the announcement letter for junk mail.

"I took all my junk mail and was sorting through it as I was early for work. I was going to chuck it in the bin. Luckily I noticed it!

"It was great that my work was acknowledged, but I didn't do it for the recognition.

"I did what I did because I love where I live, and I was brought up to be polite and hard working. I would do it all again without hesitating.