A roadman from Hawkshead has been honoured after clocking up 35 years service with the local authority and an incalculable number of miles on the road.

Alan Hardisty, 50, known as Big H to his friends, is not only well-travelled on South Lakeland and Furness's transport network, but has played a key role in keeping it in shape.

From the cab of a JCB gritter, or the seat of a roller, he has carried out tarmac works in the summer, or spread rock salt on the roads in winter, along with other maintenance work.

His district has seen him take on the well-used roads between Grasmere and Newby Bridge and across to the Cumbrian border, and previously the rough geographic square from Ambleside down to Newby Bridge across to Broughton-in-Furness and up to Wrynose Pass.

Hilton Brass, Cumbria Contract Services' network engineer, said such has been Mr Hardisty's dedication to his area, he could probably tell people how many and where to find the heaps of salt and bins there are on every road.

Mr Hardisty, an Everton fan, was one of ten people to clock up a combined total of 350 years service to the Cumbria County Council and its constituent authorities.

He joined what used to be Lancashire County Council on November 20, 1967, and worked out of the Coniston depot.

Following the re-organisation of local government in 1974, Mr Hardisty was one of the first roadmen to work for the newly-formed county of Cumbria and moved to the Ecclerigg depot and then onto the Mintsfeet operation at Kendal.

Mr Brass told the award ceremony yesterday: "In winter time he is a mate when needed for gritting purposes and he helps me considerably when the putting out of salt heaps comes around.

"In summer time, his roller driving skills come to the fore when we are surface dressing, tramping a roller from one site to another.

"On some occasions he has been known to tramp a roller from the Langdales to the next bed in the Lyth Valley, stopping off at home in Hawkshead for the night and then catching the 7am ferry across Windermere to be on site for starting time."

A regular darts player in the Ulverston area, Mr Hardisty enjoys horse racing and was an accomplished cricketer in South Cumbria and North Lancashire with Esthwaite Vale, until he hung up his whites and became an umpire.

He was presented with a television at the awards ceremony at The Courts, Carlisle.