REG Driver became an official Unsung Hero after being awarded a medallion by Ipswich Mayor Richard Risebrow.At the age of 83, Mr Driver has been organising the Remembrance Sunday parade at Christchurch Park for the last 25 years.

REG Driver became an official Unsung Hero after being awarded a medallion by Ipswich Mayor Richard Risebrow.

At the age of 83, Mr Driver has been organising the Remembrance Sunday parade at Christchurch Park for the last 25 years.

He has also been involved in keeping the Poppy Appeal going in the town since 1977.

And at this years Remembrance Service in the park on Sunday it was not only the soldiers who lost their lives for their country that were being remembered but Mr Driver.

Mr Risebrow said: "There are people who work in this community who may not get on the Queen's honours list but deserve some form of recognition."

A surprised and modest Mr Driver was given a medallion with the Ipswich Borough Crest on as recognition of his work in the county, but he was quick to point out that the work he does is always carried out as part of a team.

He said: "This has really surprised me, I did not expect this at all.

"I have got very good support from the British Legion – I don't believe in hogging everything and believe that we should share things out."

Having fought in the second world war as part of the Western Desert Force, his work is extremely important to him.

Mr Driver took over organising the Poppy Appeal in 1977. He said: "They suddenly found that there was no-one to do it.

"I thought there is no way we can not have a Poppy Appeal in Ipswich, in my town, so I took it on."