Leading figures in health, law, education and policing are among those to receive recognition for their services in the Queen's honours list today.

Kent Chief Constable Alan Pughsley has been awarded the Queen's Police Medal, the highest professional honour a British policeman can receive.

But the county's most senior police officer said the award was a recognition of Kent Police as a whole, not just a personal achievement.

He said: "It reflects the great work of the officers and staff. I have the pleasure of leading the organisation, but day in and day out my officers and staff do wonderful, brave things, and it's their service to the public that's reflected in the award I've received.

"I'm very proud. I've been a policeman for 31 years, and I joined to do what my officers and staff do - look after people, look after victims, look after witnesses and keep people safe.

"So to be awarded for doing a job I love is pretty special."

The Chief Constable said he will collect his honour towards the end of the year.

A number of others who live or work in Kent have received royal recognition.

James Bullar from Westerham has been made a Member of the British Empire.

Mr Bullar has spent the last 18 years at the London Nautical School, first as head of nautical studies, than as head of maritime.

Educated at the University of Wales, where he developed his love of sailing, he worked for the Welsh office for a while, but said he preferred the sea.

After a period as a sailmaker and rigger in Bristol, he gained a professional yacht master qualification and started doing skippered yacht charter work on a ketch all over Europe and the Baltic.

He then took a teaching qualification at Posrtmouth University.

An accomplished yachtsman and instructor, he has worked closely with the Royal Yachting Association.

His honour marks his services to maritime education and voluntary service to maritime safety.

Graham Carpenter who leads a charity which helps children and young people traumatised by abuse, neglect or having emotional difficulties has also been recognised in the honours’ list.

The 56-year-old, who is chief executive at the Dandelion Time charity in East Farleigh, near Maidstone, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for Services to Young People and Families in Kent.

Mr Carpenter joined the charity, which uses farm-based activities as a therapy to help children overcome past suffering and develop in confidence, when it started 12 years ago.

He said: “I was delighted and surprised when I heard - delighted because I was hoping that it would help to push the charity so that people know more about it and maybe look it up.

“I was very pleased to see it reflects the work of so many people.”

Simon Bartley, from East Malling, is also made an OBE for voluntary and charitable services.

Professor Susan Standring, of Sevenoaks, has been given a MBE for services to anatomical education.

Professor Standring is a professor of anatomy at King’s College London, tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and editor of respected medical publication Gray's Anatomy.

Prof Standring is an expert in the repair of the peripheral nervous system and will be awarded an MBE after 40 years of teaching the importance of anatomy to medical and dental students.

Charles Plant, from Tunbridge Wells, has been awarded a CBE.

The former chair of the Solicitors Regulation Authority board for five years, Mr Plant stepped down on December 31 last year.

During his time he oversaw a new regulatory regime and reviewed the standard of legal education and training given to solicitors.

Prior to this he worked as a litigation and arbitration partner at Herbert Smith from 1976 to 2005.

He is now a consultant for the firm.

Ian Doyne Malcolm Burns, a lay observer south east region, received an MBE for services to people in custody.

The Edenbridge man has been a lay observer in Kent and Sussex for 18 years and an independent custody visitor for 22 years.

He currently looks after the lay observer team in the south of England from Kent to Cornwall.

Lay observers are appointed by the minister of justice to monitor the treatment of prisoners while they are in the care of the private contractors that transport them from police stations and prisons to court.

They also look after them at court.

A custody visitor inspects the conditions in court custody suites and the cellular vans used for transport.

At present there are around 65 lay observers throughout England and Wales.

A Greatstone woman has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to children and families.

Mrs Julie Nixon works as a foster carer for Lydd based Credo Care.

The not-for-profit fostering agency held a special party to celebrate Mrs Nixon’s award at their headquarters on Friday afternoon, with colleagues and friends gathering to congratulate her on her honour.

She was presented with a bunch of flowers and cake by Credo Care’s chairman, Bishop Damien Mead.

Mrs Nixon said: “I was absolutely shocked when I heard I was getting the British Empire Medal. I’m really proud and excited.”

Credo Care is the UK’s first foster agency specialising in the care of children with disabilities and special needs.

Dylan Winder, from Faversham, is receiving an MBE for his services to international development.

Dylan is head of the Department for International Development humanitarian team and has worked in development since 19990, undertaking deployments in the Philippines, Iraq, Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis, Haiti, Nepal, Gaza, Yemen and Tajikistan.

He has been one of the first people sent out in the wake of disasters.

In November 2013, Dylan lead a humanitarian response to the cyclone which devastated the central Philippines, a major stretch over and above the already demanding work Dylan was leading on humanitarian programmes globally.

He was in operational charge of the entire British government relief programme, from start to finish.

The Kent honours list in full

CBE

Charles William Plant. Chair Solicitors Regulation Authority Board. For services to Legal Education and Regulation. (Tunbridge Wells, Kent)

OBE

Simon John Bartley. For voluntary and charitable services. (East Malling, Kent)

Dr Janet Carr. Honorary Senior Researcher The Tizard Centre, University of Kent. For services to People with Down's Syndrome and their Families. (Surrey)

Mrs Natalie Cecilia Elphicke. Chair, Million Homes, Million Lives. For services to Housing. (Dover, Kent)

John Dominic Mortimer Fisher. Chairman and vice president The Officers Association. For services to Armed Forces Personnel. (Kent)

Dr Clare Therese Lukehurst. For services to the Anaerobic Digestion Industry. (Broadstairs, Kent)

Professor Gillian May Nicholls. Deputy vice-Chancellor Academic Affairs, University of Surrey. For services to Higher Education. (Folkestone, Kent)

Professor Susan Marguerite Piotrowski. Pro vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Emeritus Professor Canterbury Christ Church University. For services to Higher Education. (Whitstable, Kent)

MBE

James Bullar. Head of Nautical Studies London Nautical School. For services to Maritime Education and voluntary service to Maritime Safety. (Westerham, Kent)

Ian Doyne Malcolm Burns. Lay Observer South East Region. For services to People in Custody. (Edenbridge, Kent)

Mrs Janet Rose Collins. Chair, Millmead Children's Centre Partnership Ltd, Kent. For services to Children and Families (Westgate, Kent).

Mrs Jean Cooper. For services to the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship. (Dartford, Kent)

Mrs Dianne Dawson. For services to the community in Ashford, Kent. (Ashford, Kent)

Andrew John Dennis. Brick Instructor in Prisons Manchester College. For services to Prison Education and Skills. (Folkstone, Kent)

Dr Adrian Dennis Hopkins. Director Mectizan Donation Programme. For humanitarian services in Africa. (Gravesend, Kent)

Mrs Sandra Kathleen Paddon. For services to the community in Sidcup, Kent. (London)

Ms Yasvanti Govindji Lakhamshi Shah. Head of Adoption and Improvement Kent County Council. For services to Children and Families. (London)

Professor Susan Margaret Standring. For services to Anatomical Education. (Sevenoaks, Kent)

Christopher Grahame Welsh. Director Global and European Policy, Freight Transport Association. For services to Shippers and the Shipping Industry. (Westgate on Sea, Kent)

Mrs Sheila Williams. Volunteer, Petts Wood Playgroup, Kent. For services to Children with Special Educational Needs and their Families. (London)

Robin Williamson. For voluntary service to taxpayers. (Sevenoaks, Kent)

Dylan Fitzpatrick Winder. Head of Humanitarian Policy and Partnerships Department for International Development. For services to International Development particularly in the Philippines. (Lynsted, Kent)

BEM - BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL

Graham Robert Carpenter. Chief executive Dandelion Time. For services to Young People and Families in Kent. (Crowborough, East Sussex)

Mrs Tracey Ann Creed. For services to the community in Guston, Kent. (Dover, Kent)

Mrs Ruth Glenn. For services to People with Learning Disabilities through the Swanley Cygnet Club in Kent. (Swanley, Kent)

Mrs Cherry Netta Leppard. For voluntary service to the community in Kent. (Folkestone, Kent)

Mrs Catherine Lewis. For services to the community in Sheerness, Kent. (Sheerness, Kent)

Mrs Julie Nixon. Foster Carer, Credocare, Kent. For services to Children and Families. (Greatstone, Kent)

QPM - QUEEN'S POLICE MEDAL

Alan Pughsley. Chief Constable Kent Police.