Long-serving members of Withernsea Coastguard honoured with Diamond Jubilee medals

VOLUNTEERS protecting visitors and locals on a stretch of Holderness coast have been honoured for their long service.

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart presented Diamond Jubilee Medals to long-serving members of the Withernsea Coastguard.

Six members of the team were given the medals, which go to members of the Armed Forces, emergency services and prison service who have completed more than five years of service.

Mr Stuart said: "I was honoured to be asked to present these medals to the Withernsea Coastguard team.

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"They all deserve commendation for their dedication to the service, which is responsible for search and rescue and safety around the coastline."

One of the coastguard team to receive a medal was Ann Bell, who is the fourth generation of her family to serve in the coastguard in Withernsea.

The career path is a family tradition, as her father Ian, his twin brother Ray and her grandfather and great-grandfather served.

In total, the family have clocked up more than 120 years of service, with Mrs Bell serving on the team for the past 16 years.

Mrs Bell is expecting her second baby in September, who may also choose to carry on the family tradition and form the next generation of the coastguard.

She said: "My husband is an RNLI crew member at Withernsea and there is regular banter in our family about whether our daughter would join the coastguard or the RNLI.

"Now that we have a second child on the way, they can do one each."

Coastguard members honoured alongside Mrs Bell were Terry Bearpark, Nigel Ling, Kevin Smith, David Cunliffe and Bob Brigham.

Mr Stuart was joined at the ceremony by Withernsea Mayor Kevan Hough and Deputy Mayor Patrick Spicer at the medal presentation.

Withernsea Coastguard is managed by a sector manager based in Hull.

Their responsibility covers the coastline, rather than the open water.

But their role often overlaps with work done by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Rescue Centre at Bridlington.

Rescue centre manager Tony Tuton said: "The volunteers do an excellent job. Without them, we wouldn't be able to offer the service we do."