A FORMER miner who turned his hand to wildlife management has taken up a new post in charge of one of the region's biggest parks.

Ian Graham, 45, is park ranger team leader at Herrington Country Park, near Chester-le-Street.

Born in Sunderland, he worked in the Sunderland and South Tyneside collieries of Hylton, Boldon and Westoe, until the last pit closures in the early 1990s.

"When I was made redundant, I didn't want another job in heavy industry or in a factory," he said.

"I wanted to work outdoors, so that is what I pursued and I love it."

He studied woodland management and countryside skills at Kirkley Hall Agricultural College, then spent ten years working for Durham Wildlife Trust at its Hylton Dene site in Sunderland.

In his new role, he is in charge of protecting the park's animals and plants, plus offering advice and information to visitors.

"It is a totally different job and a new challenge," he said. "There is a lot more of working with people here, which I really enjoy."

He also got to grips with some of his feathered charges yesterday, when two swans became trapped in fishing wire on a pond.

He rescued the birds which have been sent to Berwick to recuperate, before being released back into the wild.

"It is great working with wildlife and helping to preserve habitats," he said. "I have lived in Sunderland all my life and have been very fortunate to get jobs in the countryside around me."