WEST Somerset war veteran Peter Baker has welcomed a decision that will allow Russia to honour him for his part in the infamous Arctic convoys of World War Two.

Mr Baker, from Kilve, was among tens of thousands of sailors who risked their lives and endured some of the toughest conditions of the conflict to transport vital supplies through German blockades to the Soviet Union between 1941 and 1945.

He was among a dwindling number of survivors to finally receive a British campaign medal, the Arctic Star, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron earlier this year - 70 years after the convoys took place.

But the veterans had also previously campaigned to be allowed to accept a medal from the Russian Federation, which the UK Government had blocked, claiming it would break the rules surrounding the acceptance of medals.

It said that for a foreign award to be accepted there had to have been specific service to the country concerned within the previous five years.

However, Mr Baker, who celebrated his 90th birthday in February, has now heard from the Russian Embassy that he will be allowed to accept the award - the Medal of Ushakov - in recognition of the courage he showed and the sacrifices he made.

"Apparently our Government has changed its mind and relented," said Mr Baker.

Veterans from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA have all been allowed to receive the Russian medal.

"It's better late than never and I was pleased to receive the news," said Mr Baker.

"It was an absolute disgrace that we weren't allowed to accept it."

Mr Baker, who has a long association with sport, in particular the Tug of War Association, has also received another accolade from the Russian Federation.

Having been awarded a diploma by the International Olympic Committee 12 years ago in recognition of his contribution to sport, he has been asked to be a torchbearer for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which are due to be held in the southern Russian city of Sochi in February.

Mr Baker would have been among 14,000 people carrying the flame on a journey of more than 40,000 miles from Greece across all 83 regions of the Russian Federation, which gets underway in October.

But sadly, ill health means he has had to refuse the offer.

"It was a great honour to have been asked and I would have loved to have done it but my health just isn't up to it - it's a huge disappointment."