Brecon Mountain Rescue team receives Diamond Jubilee medals

Thirty-six members of Brecon Mountain Rescue team have received special medals to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The medals were presented at a ceremony in Brecon in recognition of the team's commitment to voluntary services.

The Lord Lieutenant of Powys Shan Legge-Bourke made the awards to members with more than five years' service.

Four other mountain rescue teams in Wales received the medals earlier this month.

Among the people from Brecon Mountain Rescue who were honoured on Saturday were one of its founders Peter Rowlands, from Brecon, and former Army captain Katie Garnett, from Crickhowell, who has served the team for 25 years.

This is a rare opportunity for me to publicly thank the team members for their unfaltering commitment”

The rescue team, established in 1968, is made up of people from all walks of life, including farmers, doctors, businessmen, teachers and prison officers.

Its leader Nigel Dawson, who lives and works in Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley, said: "This is a rare opportunity for me to publicly thank the team members for their unfaltering commitment.

"We have 45 members from all walks of life who come together to help total strangers in often terrible conditions and regardless of the time of day.

"I am proud to lead this team and of the work we do to help the injured and lost across the region."

Last week the team took delivery of a new £65,000 incident control vehicle after the previous one was destroyed in an accident.

Last year was the team's busiest ever with 97 call outs. Members have already attended 52 this year.