A Herefordshire businessman who has been linked with the National Farmers Union all his working life was awarded his company’s first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.

NFU Mutal insurance agent Chris Hillyard was attending his company’s convention in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates when the award was announced and he was given a standing ovation from more than 400 guests.

“It came as a bolt from the blue,’’ said Chris,who lives at Tillington, near Hereford.

He is an NFU Mutual insurance agent, being with the company for 40 years and has been group secretary for the NFU Hereford branch since 1976.

He is based at the NFU Mutual office at Beech Business Park in Hereford alongside his business partner Alan Hudson where they look after more than 2,000 clients, including hundreds of farming families.

Chris has already been top NFU Mutual UK agent a number of times and has won the top life agent title 16 times over the years.

“The results are of course down to the hard work of the excellent team at our Hereford office and old and new clients putting their trust in the NFU Mutual to provide a great service.”

Chris has been a magistrate in the county for 27 years and is currently vice-chairman of the Herefordshire Bench.