THERE are few young people in Crediton who do not know Mrs Ann Hosker.

It was partly because of all her youth work that Mrs Hosker was chosen as the Crediton Rotary Club's Citizen of the Year 2009. This honour is not given every year.

Ann, her husband John and family, have lived in Crediton since 1975. Ann did much work with Mid Devon Craft Guild and is chairman of the local branch of the National Trust.

She has helped at Pilots Youth Club, been much involved in Guiding and Brownies in the town and the Trefoil Guild. She has helped with the Blind Club, Hospiscare, Age Concern, Shobrooke Parish Church, and Friends of Crediton Parish Church.

Ann has also been a "lollipop lady" at The Green and on East Street. She retired this year.

Introduced by Mike Beskeen, chairman of Rotary community services committee, Ann received a framed certificate and an engraved shield from Rotary president, Gill Swain.

She also received a £100 cheque for Help For Heroes from the club. Ann explained that her daughter, Jane had already done one tour of duty as an army medic in Afghanistan and would probably be doing another.

She added that the Lurv Handles would be playing for the Help for Heroes fund at a dance organised by the Territorial Army at Sandford Parish Hall on November 14.

She also said she had been "gobsmacked" to receive the award.