Government drops plans to stop paying Coastguard volunteers

Dr Kelly Stockdale, a senior lecturer in criminology who is also a coastguard rescue officer based in Eyemouth on the Berwickshire coast, told the BBC she was relieved that the minister had listened to their concerns.

“It is highly skilled work, we train for more than 100 hours to be a coastguard officer,” she said.

“We continue that training with two hours every week and that’s what allows us to be able to respond when a call for help comes.”

She added: “Our main fear is if people were to leave because they couldn’t afford to continue to commit, they couldn’t lose that income, we’d not only have fewer people but also the skills and experience that would be lost.”

Paul Arkison, GMB Scotland senior organiser, welcomed the U-turn but said it should never have been necessary.

He said: “The work and commitment of Coastguard Rescue Officers could not be more important but had been needlessly risked by this ill-considered and self-harming plan.

“These brave and skilled emergency workers do not do it for the money but the money allows them to do it.

“The decision to continue paying them for their time is welcome but should never have been necessary.”