DOZENS of dogs and their owners gathered in a Basingstoke park to say farewell to a much-loved park keeper.

Ray North has been working for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council for 25 years, and for the last few years, he has been taking care of War Memorial Park.

The dog-loving father-of-two has made a number of four-legged friends over that time, and regularly fed all of the local canines while making his rounds.

And as he prepared to retire, dozens of the dog walkers met at the park to make a surprise presentation to Ray and to give him a heartfelt send-off.

Dave Stent, who has worked with Ray for nearly quarter of a century, said: “He is very well-known and well-liked. The fact that so many people want to say their goodbyes to him shows what sort of a man he is. He will be really missed – he is a good man.”

Ray said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection for him at the gathering.

He said: “I am quite tearful – I never expected anything like this. I don’t think I’ve done that much of a job, and this is a real surprise. It’s lovely.”

The 64-year-old said he plans to make the most of his retirement and is looking forward to spending more time in his garden. He lives in Aldershot but plans to come back to the Basingstoke area and the park to see his friends and the dogs.

Pets at Home were also invited to the special surprise leaving party, and took the chance to present Ray with a hamper stuffed full of goodies for his own dog, Sparky, a husky.

Debbie Wright, deputy manager of the Basingstoke store, said: “We were delighted to have been asked to come along. We have heard all about Ray and what he has done for this park.”

The event was organised by former Basingstoke county councillor Jo Kelly, who said that Ray would be sorely missed.

She told The Gazette: “He has done a fantastic job in looking after the park, and we wanted to do something to show him how much he will be missed.”