FOR the past 30 years Bolton policeman, Dave Newton has had two "beats".

For, in addition to the streets of Bolton, whenever he had any spare time Dave would be walking the high fells of the Lake District.

There are 214 Lakeland mountains according to the famous writer and walker Alfred Wainwright.

And Dave, who retired from the force last December, has been to the top of them all.

Now Dave, who also hosts his own Lakeland website -- www.daves-lakeland-mountains.co.uk -- and is a renowned photographer of the fells, is working his way through them all again.

As Dave, from Westhoughton, said when asked what he was going to do now that he had conquered the 214: "I'm going to do a lap of honour!"

Bolton born and bred, Dave, owes his love of the Lake District to the town's police force.

"I joined as a cadet in 1971 and they almost immediately sent me off on an outward bound course to what I thought was a fearsome place -- it was my first visit to the Lake District."

He fell in love with the area and vowed to return, but the youngster had no transport and it was months before he could go back: "I went on a 50cc motor bike -- it took me 10 hours!" he laughed.

While denying that he is in any way competitive, Dave admits that the "Wainwrights" as they are known, did become a compulsion. "For years I stuck to the same areas, the ones that I particularly liked, but I was a smoker until 1991 and that does rob you of energy and wind.

"Then, when I gave up I had so much more energy and it suddenly struck me one day that I had done about 20 Wainwrights dozens of times.

"Once I had decided to do them all it did become a compulsion."

Dave completed his last Lakeland Fell on July 23 2002.

So what now for the man who, through his website and superb photographs is today as well known as any other Lakeland expert?

"Well, obviously I am going to do them all again. Megan, my Border Collie, has done more than 190, so I'd like her to do a few more."

With this 32 year love affair with the Lake District, I asked if he had ever considered going to live there?

"Not for a moment," he replied. "Bolton is home, and family, it's where I belong.

"It's also nice having a supermarket round the corner, and Bolton Wanderers, where I am a season ticket holder."

Dave has not sacrificed the rest of his life to the Lakes. He found the time to get married and raise a daughter, who is now herself married.

Unusually for an outdoors man, Dave is just as happy in his study, working on his computer, printing photographs and incorporating them into his website. He now has around 800 on the site which is regularly visited by Lake District fans from all over the world.

Dave, aged 49, added: "I've been to Wales and I've been to Scotland but I didn't like them," he said,

"I'll stick with the Lake District."