THE Witney-born designer behind the London 2012 Olympic Torch said getting an OBE was a “defining moment” in his career.

Jay Osgerby, 42, won the commission to design the torch for London 2012 in the face of competition from more than 1,000 others.

A graduate of Oxford Polytechnic, he received the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours revealed on Saturday. He said: “It was a big surprise and I’m really quite delighted – though it hasn’t sunk in yet.

“It feels like a defining moment, which is a bit daunting as I’m only halfway through my career.”

Former Appleton villager Teresa Griffiths was honoured with an OBE for her work as military matron at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The 47-year-old former John Mason School pupil, who now lives in Cumbria, works with injured soldiers and is in charge of 200 nurses.

Wing Commander Griffiths, of the Princess Mary’s Royal Air Force Nursing Service, said she was “stunned” to get the honour.

She said: “It’s a real privilege to do the job.

“To be honest, to get an award for doing something you love so much almost feels like you shouldn’t be rewarded for it.”