The son of a Yorkshire miner has been awarded a knighthood for his services to the Royal Navy.

Vice Admiral Richard Ibbotson was born and brought up in Rawdon before joining the Navy in 1975 after university.

The 56-year-old was honoured with a KBE – Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire – in the New Year’s Honours List.

And despite spending much of his career at sea, Vice Admiral Ibbotson, who is effectively fourth in command of the entire Royal Navy, says he has not forgotten his West Yorkshire roots.

“I’m tremendously honoured and flattered to receive this award,” he said.

“It’s an incredible privilege to get at this stage of my career and end up with national recognition in this way.

“A chap is humbled by it really.

“My father was a Yorkshire miner and I’m very proud of my roots, even though that world is a long way from where my career has taken me.

“I joined the navy after Durham University and liked the idea of broadening my horizons, which is something I’ve had the great privilege to do since 1975 “I’ve spent much of my career serving around the world and I’m proud of that, it’s something that is not necessarily easy to do as you go through promotions.”

Vice Admiral Ibbotson, who has two grown-up daughters, is Deputy Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff at Navy Command.

But he has spent most of his career off land and has had five sea commands during his time with the navy.

The most eye-catching was during the Gulf War, in 1991, as commander of the minehunter HMS Hurworth, when he led his ship through dangerous minefields in the Persian Gulf.

The ship cleared safe routes to the Iraqi coast for British and American forces and Vice Admiral Ibbotson won the Distinguished Service Cross for his work.

“The Gulf War is a highlight in terms of command for me, because it showed how the navy had tightened up its operational side,” he said.

“When I joined the navy there was not a great deal of experience of real operations but with the Falklands, Gulf wars and the main effort now in Afghanistan, that is no longer true.

“I am proud to say that I have worked in a service that can still say it is truly international in its scope, from counter-piracy in the Indian Ocean to counter-narcotic work in the Caribbean.”