Council sexton Keith Jackson puts down his spade after 52 years’ service

Keith Jackson will retire in the New Year after clocking up 52 years’ service in local government.

Keith started working for Chorley Council in 1971, aged 15, as an apprentice gardener, before joining Ribble Valley Borough Council as a park supervisor at Clitheroe Castle in 1984.

He was appointed Clitheroe Cemetery sexton in 1988, since, which come-rain-or-shine, he has dug up to three graves a week – over 3,500 – to the exact centimetre.

He has also lovingly maintained the cemetery’s tranquil grounds, its thousands of grave plots and award-winning woodland burial site.

Keith said his job had left him with a profound respect for people, particularly the bereaved.

He said: “You need a good spade and plenty of sympathy in this job. You have to be mindful of people’s grief and have the utmost respect for what they are feeling.

“We receive the exact dimensions of each coffin from undertakers and each grave is meticulously measured and dug, so that everyone who is being buried has the perfect resting place.

“I have loved working in this beautiful cemetery and providing a valuable service to local bereaved residents, who appreciate everything we do.

“I will miss my council colleagues, who are a great bunch and have been a joy to work with.”

Ricky Newmark, chairman of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s community services committee, said: “Keith is a fantastic member of our cemeteries team and very popular with colleagues.

“His 40 years’ service to the residents of Ribble Valley, particularly the bereaved, is a tremendous achievement and he is a fantastic example of the dedication, care and effort that council employees put into making the borough a great place in which to live.

“We wish him a long and happy retirement.”

Keith is also the council’s flag-raiser and has raised hundreds of flags at Clitheroe Castle over the years, including for Royal visits, Remembrance Days and the death of senior Royals, most recently Queen Elizabeth II.

He is a horse and carriage enthusiast and experienced flower show judge – he has judged at the Grassington Flower Show for 26 years – which he looks forward to continuing during his retirement.