A World War Two veteran has been awarded his eighth medal.

James 'Jimmy' Ewing, 90, is now the proud holder of the Legion d'honneur - France's highest distinction - in recognition of his involvement in liberating the country.

Mr Ewing was surprised and humbled to receive the medal, which was sent to his home in Dalston by the French ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Bermann.

The French medal has been added to his collection of four British medals and three Russian ones.

"I was only an ordinary fellow," he said. "It's come out of the blue.

"The French appreciate me and I appreciate the French for appreciating me. It's nice to think that someone thinks of you."

Mr Ewing, who grew up in Carlisle, joined the Navy in 1943 aged 17.

He trained as a telegrapher and learned Japanese before joining HMS Bellona.

He was on board the ship trying to block the German's radar and supporting the landings on Omaha beach on D-Day on June 6, 1944.

He was sent to Portsmouth before D-Day for a crash two-week course on how to use a new American machine to jam German radar.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the French government announced in 2014 that it wanted to award the Legion d’honneur to all surviving veterans.

The medal was established in 1802 by Napoléon Bonaparte and each one is handmade.

Mr Ewing said: "I thought there's no way I'm going to get that. I was a sailor.

"I wasn't running around with bayonets. I was there jamming."

In 2014, a delegation from the Russian Embassy visited Mr Ewing to present him with the Medal of Ushakov for his service on the Arctic convoys.

While on board HMS Bellona, Mr Ewing covered carrier raids against the German battleship Tirpitz and sailed on Arctic convoys, accompanying ships carrying supplies and ammunition to Russia.

Winston Churchill described the Arctic convoy route as “the worst journey in the world”.

The ships were under threat from German U-boats and aircraft and had to endure intense cold, storms, fog and ice.

Mr Ewing said he did not know why he had received so many medals.

He said it was all the more remarkable that veterans were still being honoured given the current hostile climate in Europe and deteriorating relations between Russia and the west.