A former Arctic convoy seaman is celebrating after 'battling for years' to have his comrades recognised for keeping Russian supply lines open during the war.

Ken Burkinshaw, 89, said he was very pleased to hear Prime Minister David Cameron's announcement that those veterans who braved perilous conditions in the Arctic 67 years ago would finally be awarded medals.

Ken, of Cherry Tree Street, Hoyland, has four medals awarded to him by the Russians. But the Cold War made doing the same a sensitive issue for the British government as the Russians were the new enemy after 1945.

And, by the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, veterans were denied recognition because of a rule stating medals may only be awarded within five years of a war's end.

Only about 400 are thought to be still alive and Ken said he felt sorry for the widows of servicemen who had not lived long enough to be awarded for their service.

But, as an active member of the Russian Convoy Club in Dewsbury and the Royal British Legion, he said it was work well spent.

He said: "We've been waiting for this for a long time and a lot of people, including several MPs, have become involved in trying to push this through over time. I'm very glad to see our work has paid off."