THE lifeboat station in Newquay has recognised volunteers for their combined 120 years of service.

Graham Mountford, Richard Martin, Ross King and Christian Brown have been presented with long service awards.

A spokesperson for Newquay RNLI lifeboats said: “Newquay Lifeboat station celebrated 120 years of service to the RNLI.

“Four of our volunteers were brought together for the presentation of their long service awards.

“On June 12, 1965, a 19-year-old Graham joined Newquay Lifeboat Station the day it re-opened, following a 20-year hiatus after World War Two.

“Completing a staggering 60 years of service, Graham became a bedrock for the station having had numerous roles within the RNLI, boat crew, shore crew, launch authority, launch vehicle operator and currently station mechanic.

“Richard Martin, a serving officer in the Royal Navy joined the lifeboat crew in 2004.

“Richard, who followed his father's footsteps by volunteering for the RNLI, trains and responds to shouts during his leave from the Navy.

“Ross King followed in his grandad and uncle’s footsteps and joined Newquay Lifeboat Station in 2005.

“Being a local fisherman, Ross, one of our helms, is never far from the station. Fishing for crabs and lobster most days, he knows the local coast like the back of his hand and is a valuable asset to the station, often taking new boat crew out on exercise in order to advance their local knowledge.

“Christian Brown, one of our dedicated RNLI helms, joined the lifeboat crew in 2003 and is one of our many qualified paramedics.

“Before joining the ambulance service in 1998, Christian worked for HM Coastguard at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Falmouth and was also a volunteer with Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team, both of which he still works with closely in his voluntary and professional roles.”