A MAN whose spent the past ten years cleaning up blackened beaches said he was speechless when he discovered he was to be awarded the MBE today.

Denis Rooney, from Seaham, County Durham, has been helping to remove the legacy of mining from the area's coal-scarred coast.

The honour comes just weeks after the former maintenance fitter at Dawdon Colliery was named Countryman of the Year by Country Life magazine.

Coal slag dumped on the beaches has been removed and new life breathed into the area through the £10m Turning the Tide project.

Denis, 54, said: "I was speechless when I found out. When I started this job ten years ago I knew it was a big job, but in many ways it has taken over my life."

He started in 1990 as a National Trust warden but became their property manager last year. With land purchased, they hope to open up the beaches to public access - access denied for generations.

Liz Fisher, National Trust manager for County Durham, said: "When Denis started work, the cliffs and beaches were one vast coal tip. He is a local man who understands the area and its people - his hands-on approach has helped make the coast somewhere to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike."