CHESHIRE Search and Rescue team leader Simon Lane has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

Simon, 48, from Wilmslow, has been awarded the accolade for services to the community in Cheshire.

Simon joined as an operational member of Cheshire Search and Rescue, starting as a Search Technician before taking on additional operational responsibility as a Party Leader and then Search Manager.

A Cheshire Search and Rescue spokesman said: “In the past seven years Simon has volunteered to stand as a committee member and trustee, to help manage running of the team.

“For the last six years he has taken on what some would describe as the ‘thankless task’ of Team Leader, and together with the current committee has developed and implemented the strategy to make the team into the highly-respected organisation that it is today.

“More recently he took on a national leadership role as vice- chairman for Lowland Rescue, to help shape the future of lowland search and rescue in the UK.”

Simon said: “I feel very honoured to be nominated for this award, which reflects the dedication and hard work of all those that I work alongside, in Cheshire and beyond, who are passionate about finding vulnerable missing people.

“I’d particularly like to thank my family for their huge support, my ‘second family’ - the members of Cheshire Search and Rescue who give up their time and skills, and our friends and colleagues in Cheshire Police.

Robbie Davies, chairman of Cheshire SAR said: “This is a very well deserved honour and reflects the time and commitment that Simon has given.

“Under his leadership the team has gone from strength to strength and provides a resource that the people of Cheshire and beyond can be extremely proud of and confident to rely on when needed.”

Simon is married with three children and works for a property investment company based in Wilmslow. He will travel to London to collect his Honour in 2020.

Cheshire Search and Rescue Team was formed in 2004 following the disappearance of a teenage girl in the Warrington area.

It receives no Government funding, and members are volunteers from all walks of life and a wide range of professions.

They are all on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and cover their own expenses for call-outs. They do not receive any payment for the services they provide.