A SENIOR ranger with the Lake District National Park Authority Has been commended for his 25 years of service.

Phil Clague, aged 50, covers a vast area of the national park, from Broughton-in-Furness and part of the Duddon Valley to Ennerdale, Wasdale and Eskdale.

Earlier in his career, Mr Clague, worked at Coniston but is now regarded as a “mainstay” of the park’s ranger service in West Cumbria.

His dedication was commended at a meeting of the Lake District National Park Authority in Kendal on Wednesday.

Park chairman Mike McKinley said when Mr Clague first started in the job, Jurassic Park was the movie of the year, Mr Blobby was at number one and the House of Commons had agreed a European Union unity pact.

Mr McKinley said Mr Clague was active on “land and water,” in Coniston and Eskdale. “Phil epitomises all that’s good with our rangers. He is self-effacing, hardworking and totally dedicated, and that has helped raise the profile of our rangers.”

Mr Clague, who lives near Broughton-in-Furness, told the meeting that the years had flown.

He said: “I think back to 1993 when I was handed the keys to the Coniston ranger base. Back then it was an empty, concrete room, tacked onto the end of the mountain rescue base. There was no internet, no computers or mobile phones – just a bare light bulb, a hard plastic chair and a cupboard full of tools. It was more of a vocation than a job. It’s fun to look back but it’s important to look forward as well.”