Two people who have each lived with diabetes for half a century have received awards in recognition of their achievement.

Nigel Lunn, from Long Lee, and Eldwick man Sam Micklem were presented with medals by Airedale Hospital consultant diabetologist Dr Cornelle Parker.

Both recipients of the honour - the Alan Nabarro Award - have type one diabetes, when insulin production in the body stops completely and regular doses have to be taken throughout the day, every day.

Mr Micklem was diagnosed in 1955 while still studying English at Oxford University.

He wanted to dedicate his medal to doctors Banting and Best "who discovered insulin just in time to keep diabetics healthy and alive" and his wife Claudette.

Mr Lunn said: "I am so pleased to receive this award. When I look back I remember how the needles used to be great big things and you could only have one dose of insulin a day so you really had to plan your meal times and what you ate - now you have much more freedom."

Dr Parker said: "We are very pleased to have two patients in one year cared for in our hospital who can receive this medal. If you look back to how diabetes was managed 50 years ago this is a remarkable achievement and is something for them and their families to be very proud of."

The Alan Nabarro Award is a national accolade given by the British Diabetic Association to all those who achieve the 50-year milestone. Mr Nabarro was one of the first diabetes patients to receive insulin after a diagnosis when he was aged seven, in 1922.

He was given six months to live but the discovery of insulin, provided to the first human patient in the same month he was diagnosed, allowed him to live with the condition for 55 years.

He died in 1977.

l There are currently over 2.3 million people with diabetes in the UK and there are up to another 750,000 people with diabetes who have the condition and don't know it.