A Cheddar man has been hailed volunteer of the year after dedicating years to preserving an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

The Mendip Hills AONB Partnership has praised Richard Ellis for going above and beyond his volunteering role.

Richard has been a long-standing volunteer ranger who regularly commits his time to visit Deer Leap and litter pick, report problems and say hello to visitors.

The partnership called him an ‘unsung champion’ in the area for working ‘relentlessly’ for the Mendips.

Volunteer co-ordinator Sammy Fraser said: “Richard has been volunteering for the AONB for more than eight years and has contributed a phenomenal amount of time to helping to preserve the AONB’s special qualities and engage with people in the area.

“He is extremely hard working and a real asset to our team – it’s been a real pleasure to work with him.”