The manager of an Ulverston hotel, who has been chosen as the best tourism employee in the county by Cumbria Tourist Board, was warned only hours before he was presented with the award.

Lakeside Hotel, at Newby Bridge, nominated the operations manager of the new training academy at Trinity House, Michael Dunne, for the award because he has become an invaluable asset since joining the company 14 years ago.

Mr Dunne did not know anything about winning the award and was told while on the way to the Cumbria Tourist Board's annual meeting in Kendal on Wednesday where he was presented with a £300 cash prize and a trophy.

He said: "I had no idea I had even been nominated and it was a total shock, but I am really pleased.

I don't know why I was nominated because I just do my job because I really love it.

I haven't a clue what I am going to spend the money on, I will probably just put it in my bank account as I work quite long hours, so I don't have time to spend it."

Mr Dunne, 31, originally from Cleator Moor, started at the Lakeside Hotel at Newby Bridge in 1987 as a trainee general assistant.

After working in various parts of the hotel including the kitchen, bar and restaurant he was soon promoted to restaurant manager.

He was then made operation manager at Trinity House Hotel, on Princess Street, in March this year when it became a training academy.

In addition to operating as a hotel Trinity House employs a number of young people, aged between 18 and 25, who have been claiming unemployment benefit for more than a year.

They are put through a six-month training programme and at the end of which they are guaranteed a full-time job at Lakeside Hotel.

Director of Lakeside Hotel and the Training Academy Clive Wilson said: "Michael soon established himself as a valuable member of the team and promotion to a supervisory and management position soon followed and that is why we nominated him."