A COUNCIL fitness manager who pioneered exercise initiatives to combat Wear Valley's dismal record on heart deaths has left the area.

Kevin Archer was the first local authority-funded community fitness officer in Britain when he arrived in 1986 to run the Wear Fit campaign.

His initial programme of health-related fitness assessments was extended to a cardiac rehabilitation programme and later an exercise referral programme so GPs could prescribe visits to the gym instead of drugs.

Mr Archer, a keen runner, has enjoyed athletics success all over the world. In 1998 he was British champion at 800 and 1,500 metres in the 45 to 49 years age group.

Two years later, he won a European silver medal in a 3,000 metres steeplechase in Finland, and last year took another silver at the world championships in Puerto Rico.

In his spare time, Nottinghamshire-born Mr Archer jotted down two-line observations for a book of poems called Terse Verse.

He said: "The fitness programmes have encouraged a lot of people to enjoy the benefits of being physically active, which is considered vital to good health.

"While we have no way of measuring the effect on people's health, we know that the number of people taking exercise in Wear Valley part has risen tremendously."

Mr Archer has moved to Reigate, in Surrey, and his post has been taken up by Jill Mottram, from Sedgefield Borough Council.

Council leader Olive Brown said: "Kevin has contributed a great deal to the fitness of Wear Valley residents."