A STALWART of Kendal Rotary Club has been honoured for his 40 years of "exceptional service".

Retired bank manager Charles Robinson joined the club in 1979 and lives in Leasgill with wife Barbara.

He has been awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship, named after Rotary's founder, for his "dedication and hard work".

Fellow club member Trevor Hughes told the Gazette: "He has supported many projects over the years and considers himself (as do all of us) as a loyal workhorse who is always at the sharp end of any work to be done, whether it is out on the street shaking a tin, helping at the Westmorland County Show or all the other projects Rotary get involved with."

Mr Robinson was manager of Barclays Bank in Kendal for many years, and gave a talk to fellow Rotarians about his career. During his time at Barclays' Darlington branch, he was one of the first on the scene in an attempted bank raid. Sent in by the police to see how much money had been taken, he saw one staff member was lying on the floor after being shot, while another had the burglar in a head lock.

Mr Robinson recognised the man and informed the police, and the offender was sentenced to ten years in prison.