A MAN from Sheepwash has been recognised in the Birthday Honours' List with an MBE for his services to the community.

Charles de Lisle Inniss has been bestowed with the award recognising his voluntary service to the community in Hatherleigh and Torrington. He has worked tirelessly for the past 34 years to protect the River Torridge and the surrounding rivers.

Founding, and subsequently con-tinuing to serve as secretary and treasurer of the Torridge Fishery Association since 1979, he campaigned to save the river, working with the Environment Agency to bring back the river to its natural thriving state.

Since 2003 the association has fully funded and operated its own small salmon hatchery programme which produces around 25,000 salmon fry for stocking into Torridge tributaries to boost the ecology of the river.

The benefit of the regeneration has not only been limited to the environment but also to the local economy, which has been boosted by the travelling fishermen and anglers brought into the area.

Charles has also played an active role in the Rotary Club of Torrington over the past 40 years, being awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship in recognition of his voluntary work for the local community. In 2013, he also received the Special Contribution Award from Hatherleigh Town Council for his lifelong work and dedication to the town's cricket club.

His family ran the village pub the Half-Moon Inn for 40 years which is also a fishing inn. Charles' love of fishing drove him to get involved in river conservation and his lifelong love of cricket has led to his 40-year association with Chagford Cricket Club where he has coached youth players, managed the bar and acted as both groundsman and treasurer.

He said: 'I am very proud to receive the MBE but I feel it represents the work of the whole Torridge Fishery Association and many, many people who have worked just as hard as I have to help preserve our rivers. All our rivers in Devon are under threat from pollution and over-fishing and it is something we have to fight against.

'I have always loved my fishing and the work of the fishery association has been to ensure that future generations get to enjoy fishing as much as I have. The Atlantic salmon stock declined at a very fast rate in the 1970 and we seem that have reversed that decline at the moment but we can not be complacent.'