The former head of the Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt is to become a peer in the House of Lords, it was announced today.

Sir Richard - who lives near Norwich - is among a list of new peers, who also include former West Suffolk MP Richard Spring.

Sir Richard will be a crossbencher, despite being nominated by David Cameron when he was leader of the Opposition.

Sir Richard became president of YMCA Norfolk earlier this month and has become heavily involved in Norfolk life.

Others named in the new list of peers are film director and screenwriter Julian Fellowes, the creator of hit ITV period drama Downton Abbey, Conservative party donors including millionaire car importer Bob Edmiston and Conservative co-treasurer Stanley Fink, as well as Tory fundraiser Andrew Feldman.

Labour donor Sir Gulam Noon, the curry tycoon, is also honoured.

Divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton, whose clients have included Sir Paul McCartney

and the Prince of Wales, will become a Tory peer.

The Labour benches will be joined by Dame Joan Bakewell.

For more on this story see tomorrow's EDP.