A SELBY serviceman is celebrating after winning a prestigious army award.

Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1), Paul Franks, 39, has been awarded the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) Conductor's Parchment.

The honour is awarded to the most senior soldier in the corps and has a long and honourable history within the armed forces, dating back to the 16th century.

Recipients must have held the rank of WO1 for at least one year.

Paul is one of three WO1s to be awarded the parchment on this occasion and there are only nine conductors in the whole of the British Army.

He said: "I feel extremely proud to have achieved the prestigious conductor appointment, something that I never thought possible 21 years ago when I joined.”

As a result of his appointment, Paul will now be posted to Andover as the Head of Trade for the Royal Logistic Corps Petroleum Operator.

His role there will be to build, commission and operate deployed fuel infrastructure and issue bulk fuel to support the relevant battle groups.

Paul joined the Army in 1997 as an RLC Petroleum Operator and has served in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He wants to continue to pursue trade opportunities and ensure he delivers the best possible training while enhancing professional development for the trade, an also hopes to take up a Late Entry Commission at some stage in the future.

Speaking about the most engaging aspect of his job, Paul said: “The most challenging task that I undertook was the collapse and redeployment of the fuel infrastructure during the closure of Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

"The lads that worked with me on that tour were phenomenal and I could not have asked for more from them.”

Paul is supported by his wife Louise and two children, Jack and Alfie.