A teaching assistant who has seen generations of families pass through her classrooms is retiring after decades in education.

Lesley Ann Heron, 62, of Seaton, has been a senior teaching assistant at Ashfield Junior School in Workington for 34 years, having started her life in education at Dovenby School and Mayfield School in Whitehaven. She was the longest-serving staff member left at the school.

Lesley said: “It’s been a lot of time and I’ve seen a lot of changes and a lot of faces.

“I still speak to some of the mams and dads I taught and even some of the grandparents.

“It’s my school home, it’s not like a workplace.

“It’s somewhere I’ve made quite a lot of friends.”

Lesley is looking forward to giving more time to things that have had to take a backseat but she admitted she will miss seeing the youngsters progress.

“I’ve got grandchildren I do a lot with and a daughter who lives in Australia so I’ll be spending time there,” she said.

“I’ll have lots of things to fill my days; I do a lot of gardening and I’m going to be catching up with people.

“I have no regrets about moving on but I’ll miss the children immensely and the friends I’ve made.”