AN RAF engineer from the region has been awarded an MBE.

Warrant Officer (WO) Barry McEvoy, from Darlington, received the honour in recognition of his work at surveillnce hub RAF Waddington.

The dedicated 54-year-old was rewarded in the 2014 New Years Honours List for his contribution to the development of the Shadow R1, an airborne intelligence system designed to support national and NATO operations.

As the Warrant Officer for 14 Squadron RAF Waddington, he has also been responsible for engineering personnel and standards across 12 locations.

RAF Waddington station commander Group Captain Rich Barrow described WO McEvoy’s commitment as “beyond reproach”, adding: “He is held in the highest regard by his subordinates and his superiors alike and is truly deserving of this honour to recognise his outstanding achievements.”

WO McEvoy said: “I was initially speechless, then overwhelmed and finally extremely proud to receive the award in recognition of the outstanding achievements accomplished by all the personnel of 14 Squadron.”