A FORMER Lake District man has been presented with the MBE during a ceremony in Thailand.

Mike Boddington, who grew up near Hawkshead but now lives in Vientiane, is the founder of POWER International, a charity that helps people with disabilities in developing countries.

He was honoured in HM The Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June for his services to the victims of unexploded ordnance in Laos.

He received his award from the British Ambassador in Bangkok, Quinton Quayle.

In his speech at the presentation, Mr Boddington said “Laos is the most heavily bombed country in the world, but that is a truth.

"And a part of it is that we have a huge legacy of cluster sub-munitions – bombies”.

POWER came to Laos in 1995 to start a nationwide prosthetics and orthotics programme. In 1997 they set up COPE (Co-operative Prosthetic and Orthotic Enterprise) which is now managed by Laos staff and treats about 1,500 patients per year.

Mr Boddington is now closely involved with the first meeting of the parties to the International Convention on Cluster Munitions which will take place in Laos in November.