A St Albans engineer who has helped thousands of people stay safe in their homes in the Carribean and Tonga during the hurricane season has received an accolade.

Keith Eaton, 70, has been presented with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institution of Structural Engineers.

He received the award during a ceremony in London on June 4, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the institution and to the engineering profession as a whole.

The structural engineer’s work has seen him design and build several thousand hurricane-resistant houses in Caribbean countries including St Vincent, and throughout the Pacific islands, such as the Kingdom of Tonga, providing vital accommodation for low-income families displaced by storms.

Keith said that when he visited one of the towns several decades after the homes were built, “I found that my houses were still standing after subsequent hurricanes, which was very satisfying.”

A member of the institution for 42 years, Keith said: “It’s an absolute honour to receive this award, coming as it does soon after my 70th birthday – it’s the perfect birthday present!”