A renowned author, who has seen some of her novels aired on TV, has been named in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

Kathleen Peyton, who has penned about 70 books as K.M Peyton and was first published aged just 15, is to be made an MBE for services to children’s literature.

Mrs Peyton, of Rookery Lane, North Fambridge, is well-known for writing teenage literature about ponies.

She grew up in the outskirts of London and was unable to have a pony of her own so wrote stories to live a dream and compensate for not having one.

The mum-of-two said: “Horses have been my obsession all my life, I always wanted one."

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