A 90-year-old war veteran has been presented with the Arctic Star, 70 years after the first convoy to Russia.

Bob Hawes was presented with the medal by former paratrooper and Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis.

Mr Hawes, of Bourne Court, Staincross, was part of the convoys which sailed from the UK to the north Russian ports of Archangel and Murmansk to aid Russian allies.

Merchant ships with supplies and ammunition were escorted by British naval ships and aircraft carriers.

The supplies were vital as German forces had Russia blockaded.

His daughter-in-law Sue, 64, said he rarely spoke of his wartime experiences, but said he feared at one point that he would not be around to accept it.

They asked Mr Jarvis to help speed the application along.

Mr Hawes joined the Royal Navy on May 16, 1938 when he was 15.

After training he was drafted to the battleship HMS Royal Sovereign in July 1939 and was still under 18 on the declaration of war so his parents were given the opportunity to withdraw him.

But his reply to his mother when she asked him about dying was 'sudden death, sudden glory.'

On April 15, 1942, he was drafted to the crew of the heavy cruiser HMS Kent and stayed on the ship until February, 1945.

During that period, HMS Kent escorted 17 Arctic convoys to Russia, providing them with protection from German U-boats and aircraft.

The ship spent almost four days constantly at action stations; on May 27 alone, she fought off 108 aircraft attacks.

Mr Hawes remained in the Navy until December 1962, holding the rank of Chief Petty Officer from December 1953.

Mr Jarvis said: "I think it's incredibly important we look after our veterans, people who served our country.

"It's been fascinating to hear what it was like serving with the Arctic Convoys during these difficult conditions."