ROTARIAN Peter Mansfield has collected a top national award for his work with the organisation.

Mr Mansfield became only the fifth Marlborough Rotarian in the club's 40 year history to receive the award and it was officially presented to him by the branch's retiring chairman Tony Cowen.

The Paul Harris award, named after the American founder of Rotary International, was in recognition of Mr Mansfield's dedicated service to Marlborough Rotary Club.

Mr Mansfield, who lives in George Lane with his wife, Irene, is the Marlborough club's publicist and historian and recently launched the club's own magazine, Spoke.

Mr Mansfield, who joined the Rotary Club in 1990, said on receiving the award: "I am completely overcome and highly honoured to receive such a high accolade."

Up until his retirement, Mr Mansfield worked for Marlborough College for 30 years where he was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of its extensive grounds.

He was an advisor to the MCC on the upkeep of the county's top cricket ground at Lords and travelled extensively to advise on the maintenance of sports fields in Ireland where he was advisor to 17 sports clubs.

Mr Mansfield, a former Marine commando, was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1990 for his services to the sports industry.