MEDWAY'S Mr Business, Guy Sibley, was himself honoured at the award ceremony. He is stepping down as chairman of the judges of Medway Small Business Awards after several years in the voluntary job.

Mr Sibley helped revive the fortunes of Medway after the devastation of the Chatham Dockyard closure in 1984.

He became well known to the local business community after setting up Medway Enterprise Agency to help redundant workers set up on their own. The pioneering agency was admired nationwide and copied elswhere.

Mr Sibley teamed up with the then Kent Evening Post, now Medway Today, to launch Medway Small Business Awards in 1984 in a bid to regenerate the Towns at a time when unemployment was close to 20 per cent.

Mr Sibley, who has already been honoured by the Queen with an OBE, was given a special award for his services to the awards and business in Medway.

Wayne Saunders, the event's master of ceremonies and an official with Medway council's economic development department, paid tribute to Mr Sibley's achievements.

"Medway Enterprise Agency was a role model for many other agencies in the UK," he said. "We are proud that he has been chair of the judges for the small business awards for several years and we have reluctantly agreed to let him go."

Mr Sibley is to marry in November.