VOLUNTARY carers for a Dales rail station scooped two top prizes shortly after showing off their passion for the line to hundreds of people in London.

Friends of Bentham Station (FOBS) snatched the gold award for their extensive work on the buildings and then the top prize for presenting the best community engagement event.

Prizes were handed out at the Association of Community Rail Partnerships Gala Dinner and Awards at the Floral Hall in Southport.

The gold award came in the 'It's Your Station' category for the group's extensive work at Bentham and within the local community. They were one of only 11 groups at community rail stations nationwide to receive the honour.

The best community engagement accolade came for FOBS' 'A Day in the Life of Bentham' photographic competition held in the summer.

There were 250 entries, more than 500 visitors to the exhibition of the 40 photographs in the final and 400 people cast their vote for the People's Choice Award.

There was also joint success for the LMCRP, Lancaster and Skipton Rail Users Group, Northern and Stuart Ballard for the 'Rail to Trail – 12 Station to Station Walks’ project. It was placed third in the ‘Best Marketing Campaign’ category.

The linear walks designed by Mr Ballard linked the stations from Heysham Port to Skipton. They have been acknowledged by the Long Distance Walkers Association forming a 68-mile long-distance footpath.

Earlier in the same week, FOBS and the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (LMCRP) had attended a community rail promotion at Westminster opened by Rail Minister, Paul Maynard MP.

A LMCRP spokesman said: "The day-long event attracted hundreds of visitors from the rail industry and civil servants from many government departments.

"The stall certainly gave city dwellers a real opportunity for a breath of country air and a true sense of rural community life."