Arthur is a true local hero

Mr Trow lovingly tends the lawn around the Churchill War Memorial, near Kidderminster.

The 92-year-old war veteran was recently honoured for a lifetime's devotion to duty by members of the Blakedown and Hagley branch of the Royal British Legion. Today he becomes the latest winner of a Local Hero award, organised by the Express & Star, Birmingham Midshires and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His service over the years has seen him spurred on by personal memories of many of the fallen listed on the memorial.

He has now decided the half-mile round trip with his motor mower is just too much and has decided to hand over the task. After being presented with his Local Hero certificate, Mr Trow said: "I am over the moon. I have been a little overawed by all the attention after announcing I am to give up the task of mowing the grass at the war memorial but it is very nice to be appreciated. People's kind comments and appreciation of what I have done have made it all worthwhile."

Mr Trow began life as a gardener on leaving Churchill School at 14. He became garden boy at the local rectory and this led to him mowing the war memorial lawn, previously done on a voluntary basis by the gardeners of the four large houses in the village. He had a break when called up for Army Service in 1940 with the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry and later the Army Service Corp but resumed his duties again in 1946.

He became a full-time gardener and driver at Churchill House in the village and ended his official working life as groundsman at Halesowen Grammar School from which he retired at 64. But this did not deter him from continuing to tend the war memorial lawn and his own cottage garden.

Mr Trow will attend a lunch at Molinuex in December to honour the Local Heroes.