PROFESSOR John Clarke receives an OBE for his services to the community in County Durham.

Since premature retirement from Durham University in 1990, the geography academic, an emeritus professor, became a Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham, and served for six years as chairman of the Durham and its successor North Durham health authorities.

He has since overseeen the award of grants to worthy regional causes in his role chairing the North-East committees of the Community Foundation and Awards for All, both positions which he has recently relinquished.

Prof Clarke remains chairman of the County Durham Foundation grants committee, on which he has served since its inception in 1995.

A world authority on populations and demography, he came to Durham University as a geography lecturer in 1955, after RAF service.

On retirement, the former vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society was pro-vice chancellor and sub-warden of the university.

A married man, with three married daughters, he has lived in the same house in Durham for more than 40 years.

* Helen Hesler, from Horden east Durham, has earned her MBE for services to people with disabilities in the county.

The Irish-born widow of former Horden Colliery general manager, James Hesler, she was a founder of Easington District Association for the Disabled in 1970 and now chairs the group.

During the 32 years of its existence, the group has provided respite holiday breaks for disabled people and their families across County Durham, at one of three caravans the association owns at sites in South Tyneside.

She has overseen the continuous fundraising effort which allows the caravans to be updated every few years.

Mrs Hesler said last night: "It's a marvellous honour, but I feel its really recognition for the association itself and what it has done for people with disabilities and their families."

* Another County Durham recipient of the MBE is David Anthony Waters, distribution director of Northern Electric and Gas, whose award is for services to the electricity industry.

Mr Waters trained as an electrical engineer and has worked for Northern Electric for 42 years, much of it on Teesside. He is heavily involved in community activities on Teesside, including the Road Safety Motorcycle Training Scheme.