'We're the people in orange who make it happen'

Maurice Bennington said winning the award was "on a par with winning a championship"

A dedicated car enthusiast who has volunteered at three major racing circuits for 56 years has been named the Motorsport UK's volunteer for the year.

Maurice Bennington, from Carleton Rode, near Attleborough, Norfolk, is known as a "lynch pin of the marshalling community", at Snetterton, Silverstone and Brands Hatch.

He said the recognition was a shock as "we're just the people in orange who make sure it happens".

Mr Bennington said over the years he had made great friends with some of the top names in the sport, including former racing drivers Jackie Stewart and David Coulthard.

Maurice was first taken to Snetterton as a child

"It came as a bit of a shock, I wasn't expecting it, we do it so drivers can race and enjoy themselves."

He said he first went to Snetterton, Norfolk, aged nine and sat at the hairpin and it "went from there".

"As soon as I was old enough and passed my test, I was up there every weekend watching," he said.

He then started marshalling on Saturday mornings and now spreads his spare time between the three circuits.

At Snetterton, he is the chief paddock marshal and at Brands Hatch, Kent, he looks after the crossroads and operates the gates.

"At the Grand Prix [at Silverstone in Northamptonshire] for the past three years I've inherited a new job at Stowe Corner looking after the paddock club people.

"You meet so many different people and I've met so many friends in all walks of life, it's the reason you do it."

A Motorsport UK spokesperson said: "His strong moral compass, and sense of right and wrong has helped many young people in their formative years.

"Many have gone on to greater things within the sport, and some have cause to thank him for starting their working careers in motorsport."

He is known as a "lynch pin" and for being "a walking, talking, encyclopaedia of people and events throughout his personal motorsport experience", they added.

Mr Bennington has seen many updates on the Snetterton race track over the years