THE Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) has appointed a new leader of its stations in Gwent.

Mervyn Fleming, who had led the team for 10 years and was 70 last year, announced to his colleagues in December that he was stepping down.

For the past 10 years, he supervised all deployments from the organisation's bases in Newport and Beachley, near Chepstow.

As a volunteer himself, he nearly always travelled to Beachley Station to run the Control Room operation and remained on station until all of 'his' crew were safely back.

Chris Crowley, executive chairman of SARA, said: He has been tireless in developing the capability of search and rescue across the area, leading the progress of inter-agency cooperation and liaison arrangements.

" SARA is now frequently called to support the Police and the Fire & Rescue Services in water-focused operations away from the coast, as well as by the Coastguard for incidents on our tidal rivers and out on the Bristol Channel."

Mr Fleming will be succeeded by Ian Roberts, who has been a SARA volunteer since 2015 and is an operational member of the lifeboat, cliff rescue, and land search teams.

He said: “Mervyn has done a great job for a number of years and will continue to support SARA in the future.

"It’s an honour to be elected as chairman and I know that we face several challenges, the most fundamental of which is funding our activities.

"SARA is staffed entirely by volunteers and we receive no regular Government money. We have to raise the money ourselves to fulfil our role, and that is a constant battle."

To donate £5 to SARA, text “SARA02 £5” to 70070.