A BEWDLEY woman appointed as the first female secretary of the Worcestershire branch of the Royal British Legion is keen to dispel perceptions that the organisation is "fuddy duddy".

Sheila Hannon, 67, will take up her new post in January, succeeding Jeff King.

Mother-of-four Mrs Hannon, of Kidderminster Road, has had a lifelong association with the Legion.

At the age of four, she used to help her father, a former licensee of Bewdley's Talbot pub, Fred Bishop, with the annual poppy collection.

When the Bewdley branch of the Legion re-formed in 1972, Mrs Hannon joined and was a founder member of its women's section, eventually becoming secretary.

Her husband, Ken, is a member of the Bewdley branch committee and served in REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers).

Mrs Hannon, a former Brintons worker, was looking forward to her new role, in which she will be responsible for more than 10,200 county members, saying: "I'm very proud to think that I was asked. It's quite an honour really."

Mrs Hannon went on: "A lot of people seem to think it's a very fuddy duddy organisation but it isn't.

"It does a lot of work that people aren't aware of."

She is a member of the Legion's Stourport branch committee and a group covering eight branches.

Mrs Hannon has also been involved in the Cub and Scout movement in Bewdley for many years.

She holds the Chief Scout's medal of merit and the scouting long service award.