Three teachers have been presented with awards following 70 years of marking homework, taking assembly and pacing the playground of a Watford primary school.

Headteacher of Parkgate Infants and Nursery School, Ann Lawrence, received a special county council award after notching up 30 years service in Hertfordshire schools and 17 years as headteacher of the Watford school.

Nursery teacher Kathleen Mitchell and teaching assistant Ann Lyford have also been presented with special awards after clocking up 20 years at the Northfield Gardens school.

Ann, who started her teaching career in St Albans before teaching in Radlett, initially joined Parkgate Infants as a deputy head before she was appointed as the head in 1991.

Since then she has overseen many changes - both to education nationally and to the school itself - and admits she has now been at the school long enough to greet ex-students as prospective parents.

She said: "Most of the staff have been here for quite a long time - there a re a lot of staff who have been here for 14 or 15 years.

"I think the strangest thing I find now is when I am showing new parents around and they say, do you remember me? I came here.'"

Ann Lyford started at Parkgate as a welfare helper, before becoming a classroom assistant and then a teaching assistant.

She said: "I can't believe I've been here for 20 years. It's a nice, happy, friendly school to work in, but it's seeing the children develop is that makes it really enjoyable."

Both Ann and Kathleen's children also went to the school.

The two Anns and Kathleen are among more than 500 cooks, caretakers, teachers and library staff from schools around Hertfordshire, who between them have clocked up more than 10,000 years of service across the county.

Their work was recognised at a series of awards ceremonies for staff who have been with the county council for between 20 and 30 years last week.

Keith Emsall, executive member for education and culture and John Harris, children, schools and families director, met the trio at an awards ceremonies at County Hall last week.

Mr Harris said: "On behalf of Hertfordshire County Council I'd like to congratulate each and every award winner.

"We really appreciate the commitment of all these long-serving members of staff working in our children's services."

County Councillor Emsall added: "The Childrens, Schools and Families awards are a small but very public acknowledgement of the tremendous job these dedicated staff do.

"They play a vital role in helping Hertfordshire youngsters achieve their full potential and they should all feel very proud."