A Staffordshire paramedic who ran 25 half-marathons in 25 days for charity has been given a rare honour by Rotary members.

Superfit Ray Edensor became the first person since legendary World Cup-winning England goalkeeper Gordon Banks three years ago to receive Stafford Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellowship.

The award named after the man who set up the Rotary movement is given to people who are deemed to “have done exceptional things over an extended period of time”.

Ray, aged 51, lost three stones recently running 25 half marathons in consecutive days in a hefty decontamination suit to celebrate 25 years of the Stafford Half Marathon.

It was the latest in a series of charity stunts he has taken part in over the past few years which has seen him raise more than £250,000 for charity. All this was despite wearing an airtight protective suit and knocking himself out when he hit a lamp post during his fourth half-marathon.

He lost consciousness for about five minutes but still picked himself up and finished his run before heading to Stafford Hospital for six stitches in the two-and-a-half inch gash to his eyebrow.

And while slogging through those 25 half marathons in a row earlier this year, he still worked the night shift at Stafford ambulance station on Stone Road.

David Slee, press officer for the Stafford branch of Rotary International, which has 30,000 branches worldwide, said: “What a humble guy. What Ray has done is truly stunning.”

The Rev John Davis handed the award to Ray in the form of a commemorative certificate, a pin and a medallion at a special ceremony at Oddfellows Hall in the town centre.

Ray said: “I don’t do all this for me, but it’s nice to be appreciated – nice to be noticed – especially by my own people.”

Ray was brought up in a little two up, two down on Chapel Terrace in Stafford where his parents still live.

He is the son of popular local fishmonger “Mick The Fish” Edensor, who for years worked at the fish shop on Mill Street that is still going.

His mum used to work for Wimpey behind the old Woolworth’s store.

Ray himself worked at the fish shop for several years before studying to become a paramedic.