A Drayton carer has been given a top award in recognition of his work.

Brooklands care home in Drayton, part of Carebase's group of private care homes specialising in nursing, residential and dementia care in the South East and East Anglia, presented Mark Applegate with a Heart of Gold Award.

The Heart of Gold Awards, which were launched by Carebase in 2009, are nominated by residents, relatives, co-workers, suppliers and social workers and seek to thank employees for their continued care and compassion.

Mark Applegate has been a carer at Brooklands since May and received many nominations for the award.

Julia Chapman-Wright, Brooklands Care Home manager, said: 'All of our carers and nurses have a heart of gold and perform an exceptional job of making the lives of all the residents more comfortable and enjoyable on a daily basis.

'Mark is a fantastic carer and fully deserves this recognition. We send him our heartfelt congratulations and thanks for everything he brings to Brooklands.'

Mr Applegate was presented with an etched glass plaque to commemorate his success and also received an Armani watch and a bottle of champagne.

Colleagues, residents and relatives all praised Mr Applegate for his kind nature and happy disposition.

One of his colleagues said: 'He has a very even temperament and manages to stay in good humour even under pressure.

'He likes to whistle and sometimes play the clown to make the residents laugh and generally cheer them up. He is very helpful and will sort out whatever he can to improve on the conditions for the residents.'

One of the residents added: 'I love him looking after me.'