A LIFELONG dream has come true for a Longleat worker. John Hayton, 65, who celebrated his birthday this week, got a surprise gift as a gleaming new £75,000 steam train was named after him.

Mr Hayton who lives in Keyford, Frome, has been in charge of the one-and-a-quarter-mile narrow gauge steam railway line at Longleat since 1975.

To celebrate both his birthday and 30 years dedicated work at the safari park, the grandfather-of-two got the gift of a lifetime with the arrival of his bright red and black namesake.

The John Hayton is a 062 steam locomotive, handbuilt in 2004 at the workshops of the Exmoor Steam Railway in Devon.

Longleat's owner, Lord Bath, will officially hand the new locomotive over to Mr Hayton at a ceremony on Tuesday.

He said: "Since his arrival John has pretty much single-handedly re-built the entire Longleat railway.

"In addition to laying all the track he has also created an authentic 1950s style station platform as well as maintaining the existing engines and rolling stock.

"We felt that naming a train in his honour would be a fitting way of recognising all of his hard work and dedication over the last 30 years."

The John Hayton will haul its first passengers on February 12 when Longleat officially reopens to the public.