Plans to axe coastguard volunteer pay branded a 'car crash'

Coastguard rescuers help to keep us safe - and they're about to be hit hard in the pocket

Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.

It’s the peak of summer and barely a few days can be allowed to pass before we are told of the latest heroics from coastguards operating in Blackpool.

HM Coastguard is not the RNLI. It is run by the government rather than as a charity. But the Coastguard Rescue Service, who were involved in potentially saving a life at Rossall beach just last month, are volunteers.

They currently get £11 an hour for attending training and incidents. That’s going to change now and there are warnings that the impact is going to be significant.

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Plans to axe coastguard volunteer pay branded a ’car crash’

HM Coastguard

By Michael Holmes

Changes that will mean volunteer coastguard officers are no longer paid for responding to emergencies have been described as a “car crash”.

The officers (CROs), who make up the bulk of the Coastguard Rescue Service, the volunteer arm of HM Coastguard, currently get about £11 an hour - at a minimum of three hours - for attending training and incidents.

But, after a court judgement classed the officers as “workers” while they are carrying out their duties, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it needs to “change how the service operates”.

It has sparked a “lot of unrest”, The Blackpool Lead was told by a source, who asked not to be named.

“And it would be foolish to think that nationally we’ll not see resignations and reduced levels of commitment later this year.