A DURHAM-BASED chartered surveyor received the highest marks in the 2018 Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) entrance exams for the Northumbria and Cumbria branch, which also covers Durham.

Robert Jauneika, based at H&H Land and Property's Durham office received the Alistair Turnbull Prize for the highest-placed candidate, and followed in the footsteps of his colleague, chartered surveyor, Tim Sedgewick, who won the prize the previous year.

To become a Fellow of the CAAV, Mr Jauneika undertook a rigorous two day examination involving practical, written and oral tests. The required pass mark for the exam is 65 per cent - he achieved almost 75 per cent overall.

Since the prize was first presented in 1996, it has been won by 10 members of staff employed by H&H Land and Property, six of whom still work for the firm. This is the highest achievement of any firm in the north.

Mr Jauneika, who is also a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS), said: "I was delighted to learn that I had successfully passed the CAAV examinations, so to discover that I had received the highest mark in the region was the icing on the cake!

"Securing fellowship of the CAAV, and therefore the ability to include the letters FAAV after my name, represents the highest standards in the industry, and I am incredibly proud to include these letters after my name from now on."

David Quayle, director and chartered surveyor for H&H Land and Property, said: "As a company, we are committed to encouraging and supporting ongoing professional development for both the benefit of each individual member of staff and for our highly valued clients. The CAAV exams are hugely challenging, so we were delighted to learn that Robert had not only passed his exams but that he had won the Alistair Turnbull prize this year and that the trophy will stay within our offices here in Durham."