Dr David Gariatta, an astronomer at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and the deputy mayor of Didcot, is to receive the MBE for services to space science.

He was co-opted as a Labour councillor onto Didcot Town Council in 1997 and has been secretary of Didcot Labour Party.

His wife, Pip, who is also a town councillor, has multiple sclerosis and the couple are members of the Oxford branch of the MS Society, of which he was formerly treasurer.

Along with his wife, Dr Giaretta played a leading role planning the national re- organisation of the MS Society.

A man who spent 41 years on the rivers of north Oxfordshire has been awarded the MBE.

Robert Dale is a supervisor with the Environment Agency, working in the flood defence section and covering an area from Banbury to Aylesbury, including the River Cherwell.

News of the honour came as complete surprise to Mr Dale, of Ballard Lane, Middle Barton.

Physicist James Bateman from Appleton, near Cumnor, receives the MBE.

Mr Bateman worked for nearly 30 years at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at Chilton, near Didcot, on medical imaging scanner technology.

Over the years Mr Bateman and his team have developed a variety of scientific devices that helped advance research into medical imaging.

Mr Bateman, 61, an honorary scientist at Rutherford Appleton, lives with his wife Carol in Badswell Lane.

Kevin Richmond, a lecturer at the Abingdon and Witney College, who lives near Faringdon, gains an MBE for services to further education.

For her work with disabled young people Melba Pitt, 78, of Nicholas Road, Henley, is to receive the MBE.

Gerard Walters, manager of West Oxfordshire Training Services, based in Witney, which helps people who have been unemployed for six months and provides training for work for 18 to 25-year-olds, receives an MBE for services to training and social exclusion.

Paul Oliver, of Woodstock, is also awarded an MBE, for services to architectural education.

An MBE also goes to Singam Rajah, 65, of Cumnor, Hill, Oxford, who receives the award for services to local government.

A former senior audit assistant for Oxfordshire County Council, Mr Rajah retired in September. He joined the council in 1975.

Veteran broadcaster Raymond Baxter, 80, of Wargrave Road, Henley, has been awarded the OBE.

The award is for co-founding and running the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships.

Dr Susan Burge, 51, consultant dermatologist at Oxford's Churchill and John Radcliffe hospitals, receives an OBE.

Melinda Letts, of Goring, chairman of the Long Term Medical Conditions Alliance, has also been awarded the OBE for services to NHS Modernisation.

Tom Wylie, former teacher and youth worker, and an HMI inspector for education, of Old Road, Headington, is awarded an OBE for services to young people. He said the award gave recognition to all youth work.

Chairman of the Competition Commission, formerly known as the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, Derek Morris received a knighthood.

Mr Morris, 57, whose award is for services to industry, was an economics tutor at Oxford University's Oriel College for 29 years.

Mr Morris, of Linton Road, Oxford, said: "I'm delighted to get the award, it must be for my work for the commission.

"I've always been an economist and working for the commission gives me the chance to apply the subject to real world situations.

"The cases that come to us require a lot of collaboration of economics, law, finance and accounting, and our members come from all those disciplines."

Professor Louise Napier Johnson, Professor of Molecular Biophysics at Oxford University, has been made a Dame.

She works to develop new drugs to tackle cancer and other fatal diseases.

Dame Louise, 62, a fellow of Corpus Christi College and honorary fellow of Somerville College, said she was delighted.

"I see this honour as recognition for women scientists and recognition of service for the science community because I work on a number of national and international committees," she added.