A WELL-KNOWN character in the North-East lime market has retired.

John Turnbull has decided to call it a day after 40 years service with John Thompson's of Prudhoe, mainly at Bishop Middleham quarry in County Durham.

Born in Catterick, but now living in Nunthorpe, Mr Turnbull studied at Askham Bryan College and Yorkshire College of Agriculture before entering farming.

After three years milking cows, he joined Thompson's of Prudhoe in 1965, as a lime salesman for North Yorkshire and South Durham, based at Bishop Middleham quarry.

He became quarry manager and by the end of the 1980s he had taken on responsibility for a team of sales representatives and agricultural lime sales stretching from the North-East into Scotland.

In 1995 he was appointed as Thompson's director.

Mr Turnbull plans to keep himself busy in his retirement with a new toy - a 1200cc jet ski.