Honour for deputy lieutenants

The six new faces in the post of Deputy Lieutenant of the County were unveiled today - and they include Shropshire Star journalist Shirley Tart.Deputy lieutenants are commissioned to represent and support the Lord-Lieutenant - Mr Algernon Heber-Percy, the Queen's representative in Shropshire - and to promote the well-being of the county.

The names of the six deputies are Lady Veronica Cossons, Richard Burbidge OBE, Telford & Wrekin coroner Michael Gwynne TD, Sir David Lees, Colonel James Hamilton-Russell MBE and Shirley Tart MBE.

Shirley said today she was delighted to have been selected to represent county interests.

"I feel very very privileged and quite humbled because it is a great tribute," she said.

"As I have always done in Shropshire, any chance to help or support the county - and in this case the lord lieutenant - is something that I am happy to do," she added.

The deputy lieutenants were formally informed of their commissions yesterday.

Deputy lieutenants have been appointed since Elizabeth I's reign when the lord lieutenant's commission carried a deputation clause so that he could appoint deputies to "array and muster the militia".

The Crown still reserved the right to appoint deputies if necessary but this right was seldom exercised except during the years 1595-1617 and 1623-5. They enforced watch and ward at the beacons which were kept ready to give warning of invasion and were lighted to spread news of the Armada's approach in 1588.

The notice of the signing of the commission will appear in the London Gazette, The Times and The Daily Telegraph.