THE self-styled "King" of Hay-on-Wye, Richard Booth, who owns the largest second-hand bookshop in Europe, has been crowned with an MBE.

The 65-year-old, who has been described as an eccentric, is a determined entrepreneur who persevered in his quest to create a book town.

Mr Booth even resorted to such stunts as his 1977 declaration of independence for Hay in which he proclaimed himself King and his horse was made Prime Minister.

The aim of the independence was to boost home products and return prosperity to the area, Mr Booth said.

Mr Booth, who owns Hay Castle Bookshop and Richard Booth's Bookshop, has been credited with the revival of the town's Literary Festival and collects the New Year's honour for his services to tourism in Powys.

"This is a tremendous honour, especially because I have taken a radical position in the past. I was surprised and delighted because they don't normally give things like this to people like me," said Mr Booth, who is married to Hope.

Mr Booth said he now hoped to form a Hay-Hereford Society and intended to lead book town expansions into Eastern Europe.

"We will also be working with French and German book towns. We have had 20 fairly difficult years with the new book and the second-hand book - which is an international community," he added.

Manager of Richard Booth's Bookshop, Julie Peacock, paid tribute to the work of Mr Booth who has helped other towns, such as Blaenavon and Nabraska, to become established as book towns.

She said: "Mr Booth is passionate about rebuilding economies in small towns. People still remember him as the King of Hay and his efforts to get the town independence certainly helped to put Hay on the map. We still get journalists and visitors coming to Hay from all parts of the world, so it is true to say that he has helped to boost the tourist industry in the area."