PEOPLE is Dorset are being ask-ed to nominate their friends, colleagues, relatives or sports and community leaders for honours.

The plea comes as the latest statistics show 7.8 per cent of New Year Honours went to people in the South West region this year.

In last year’s Birthday Honours, the figure was 9.8 per cent.

Anyone can nominate someone for an award and anyone can receive an award, if they reach the required standard of merit or service.

Nationally, up to 1,300 individuals are recognised through the honours system every year.

Among those recognised in the last New Year’s Honours list was a coastguard who has spent more than 40 years saving stricken seafarers, Malcolm Wright, a watch officer in the Portland Coast-guard ops room, received an MBE for services to HM Coastguard.

All recommendations are considered by one of nine independent expert honours committees, each chaired by an independent non-Civil Service person and comprising a majority of independent members, all selected after open advertisement. The nomination process usually takes around 18 months.

The honours committees decide which awards will be offered: British Empire Medal (BEM), Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Dame or Knight.

Guidance on the honours pro-cess and a nomination form can be found at www.gov.uk/honours or phone the honours team in the Cabinet Office on 020 7276 2777.