A former fleet manager has been honoured in the 2015 New Years Honours list.

Bob Coles, fleet manager at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, has been awarded the British Empire Medal for his work with the service over 36 years.

ITV News reports that Coles, who retired last week, managed the fleet throughout severe flooding in the county in the last decade, after initially joining as a firefighter.

He told the Gloucester Citizen: "I am honoured and delighted to have been honoured in this way. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and this award is the perfect way to end my time here.

“Everything I’ve done has been with the support of colleagues and I’m just one part of a dedicated team who work hard to serve our community.”

Others to be honoured from across the automotive industry include Ashton West, chief executive of the Motor Insurers' Bureau, Miguel Fragoso-Recio, former MD of Millbrook Proving Ground, George Gillespie, CEO at MIRA, and Jeremy Moore, liason officer for road policing with the Association of Chief Police Officers.