The grant will help rescuers replace lost and damaged gear so they can continue their work

Mountain rescuers in the Lake District have been given a grant by Cumbria’s police authority to help replace equipment lost and damaged during last year’s floods.

The authority’s chair Ray Cole handed over £15,000 to representatives of the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association at its last meeting. The police authority already provides support to the rescuers, including £27,000-worth of insurance premiums.

Richard Longman, Mike Graham and Ian Clemmett accepted the money on behalf of the association, the umbrella body for the 12 mountain rescue teams in the area.

A spokesperson for Cumbria police authority said: “Since 1947 Cumbria has developed the greatest concentration of search and mountain rescue teams than any other police area in England and Wales due to its geography.

“Often in the most arduous conditions, they are called out to help with casualty recovery or missing person searches on the fells; but it was their increasing technical capability to carry out waterborne search and rescue which was most in focus during November’s epic rainfall.”

Councillor Ray Cole said: “Every single team in the Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association is a registered charity. They all want to remain a voluntary service and do attract considerable public support with funding, which is just as well when they are increasingly called on for 24/7 specialist support to our constabulary and the other emergency services.

“That is why both the authority and our chief constable are so appreciative of what the LDSAMRA membership do for Cumbria, and why our members were so glad to approve this opportunity to make good some of the equipment lost to their teams during the floods.

“We know they will be putting it to good use.”

The November floods in Cumbria were the worst ever recorded and mountain rescue teams were on duty for a week helping in swift-water rescues and evacuations of residents and visitors to towns and villages throughout the county.