A Stansted Airport Watch (SAW) patron who was previously kidnapped by Jihadi terrorists has been knighted in the King's Birthday Honours.

Terry Waite travelled to Lebanon as a Church of England envoy in January 1987, in an attempt to secure the release of four hostages.

The hostages included the journalist John McCarthy, whose family was from Broxted. Terry himself was then kidnapped and held captive by Islamic Jihadi terrorists until November 1991.

Terry was kept in solitary confinement, forced to put a blindfold on when anyone came into the room, faced a mock execution and was beaten.

Now age 84, Terry has been appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG), recognising service in a foreign country or in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs.

Upon receiving the honour, Sir Terry commented: "I suppose it’s a peak, really. I was given an MBE many years ago and then I got a CBE several years afterwards.

"Now this is the next one up, so to speak. I think I’ve been very fortunate to get this because there are many other people who are deserving of honours who don’t get mentioned."

Sir Terry has long been a stalwart supporter of Stop Stansted Expansion, and then Stansted Airport Watch, despite living more than 30 miles away in Suffolk.

On becoming SSE patron, in September 2003, he said: "When I first heard of the proposals for the expansion of Stansted Airport, I was amazed given the fact that three independent inspectors had completely ruled out any further development.

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"The expansion of Stansted would undoubtedly mean that the total character of the area surrounding Stansted would be entirely changed – and very much for the worse.

"I do not live adjacent to the airport and therefore would not be personally directly affected.  

"However, it is my firm belief that over time our countryside and rural communities are being ravaged and we will all lose out in the long term as a result."

SAW chairman Brian Ross commented: "We are tremendously proud to have Sir Terry as our patron.

"His unwavering support for our campaign over a period of 20 years has been inspirational."