Sweden's 'unofficial ambassador' to Brighton has won recognition from her country's foreign office after 16 years.

If beleaguered England football boss Sven Goran Eriksson fancied a break from life in the spotlight, he would find the perfect shoulder to lean on in the shape of Agneta Fitch.

Stockholm-born Agneta has been providing practical help, advice and counselling for 16 years in her role as Swedish "ambassador" to Sussex.

She works from an office in Hove and receives hundreds of calls for help each month from the many Swedes visiting or living in the area.

Agneta, the only woman among 18 Swedish honorary consuls across the UK, has now been awarded a medal for her services to the Swedish foreign office. It was presented by Mats Bergquist, Swedish ambassador to the UK.

One of the trickiest tasks she has faced was retrieving the belongings of a young Swedish woman from the Church of Scientology in East Grinstead.

The woman had a nervous breakdown after becoming involved with the religious group and returned to her homeland. She left many of her possessions behind and it took Agneta some time to get them back.

She is an expert at helping her compatriots deal with problems concerning things like passports or driving licences, reporting crimes or coping with bereavements.

But in keeping with the Swedish reputation for calmness and politeness, she is seldom called to help visitors accused of crimes.

Agneta believes cool and collected Eriksson, one of the most famous Swedes in Britain, is typical.

Agneta, 53, said: "He is quite a characteristic Swedish personality. Most people there are hardly hotheads.

"Generally, Swedes are so law-abiding and nice. They never seem to get into trouble.

"For example, I have never been called to the local police station. Some people think Scandinavians drink a lot but Sweden is quite a regulated country and people are generally orderly.

"The British and Swedish people are very close to each other. Swedish people can integrate into British society quite easily.

"In Sweden people probably feel under more pressure to conform. Britain is a more tolerant, relaxed society in many ways."

Agneta, who lives in Hove and has a daughter, Alexandra, 29, combines her consul role with work as a commercial property lawyer for solicitors Bunker and Company in The Drive, Hove.

She moved here in the early Seventies, having met her British husband when she was on a student visit to Brighton.