The former leader of Oxfordshire County Council Ian Hudspeth has been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to Local Government.

Mr Hudspeth, who became a county councillor in 2005 and served as leader of the council from 2012 to earlier this year, was also a former chairman of the Community Wellbeing Board, Local Government Association.

He said: "I feel privileged and honoured to receive the award, however, I think it’s recognition of all staff at Oxfordshire County Council for their hard work especially over the last year to deliver services for Oxfordshire’s residents."

He said there had been "many good and sometimes bad times over the years" but he enjoyed his time working with "a fantastic team".

Mr Hudspeth estimated his greatest achievement was to maintain minimum social care visits when some councils were cutting them down to 15 minutes.

He said: "We didn’t unless the client asked for them. This was set against a background of having to reduce the budget by £360 million over the years. I’m proud that every year we set a balanced budget despite the financial challenges."

Among other career-defining moments, he pointed to Operation Bullfinch, the 2011 police investigation into historical child sexual exploitation in Oxford.

He said: "It was a challenging time for the council, however, we showed that we have zero toleration as we successfully prosecuted the perpetrators who received sentences of 95 years in prison."

He added: "We have led the way in recycling with a rate of almost 60 per cent becoming the best county council in the country. The investment in the incinerator at Ardley has meant that only around two per cent goes to landfill with sufficient electricity generated to power over 40,000 homes.

"We have attracted government funds of over £650 million for infrastructure in Oxfordshire which we’ll see being delivered over the coming years - especially the £150 million for the A40 which will reduce congestion for West Oxfordshire’s residents.

"My big regret is that I did not find a new permanent home for Oxford United, however, I have not given up and will help wherever I can to find a solution."

Mr Hudspeth, who lost his Woodstock seat to the Lib Dems in May's local elections, said he was not sure when or where the award would take place as there have been no ceremonies recently due to the pandemic.

He added: I’m having a bit of break at the moment, catching up on some odd jobs that needed some attention. I’m also involved in some projects that will take more of my time in the future."