Each Statutory 999 service we work in association with has an appointed ‘Mountain Rescue Liaison Officer,’ and for a great many recent years this role within Lancashire Constabulary has been performed by Inspector Neil Sherry of the Civil Contingencies Section.

Neil’s role saw him liaising on mountain, moorland, cave and mine, and general search and rescue matters in Lancashire, alongside the ‘Lancashire’ MRTs, SARDA, Cave Rescue the MCA and other organisations including Lancashire Constabulary’s own resources.

Neil was also central to the delivery of search and search management training within Lancashire Constabulary, to which he always offered an open invite to MRTs. operating in Lancashire.

Trained within the Police in specialist search operations including Missing Person Search Management and as a POLSA, Neil came to Lancashire Constabulary after a career initially in the Royal Navy, where he served at sea during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the Falklands War.

Over the years Neil has been a great friend and supporter of the Bolton MRT, and with his recent imminent retirement from Lancashire Constabulary and indeed working life, we felt it appropriate to thank Neil for his work with us over the last few years.

This afternoon, unknown to Neil, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE arranged with Neil’s office (Thanks to Alayne Anderson) to surprise Neil with a personal visit to hand over from Bolton MRT a plaque to mark Neil’s retirement, as a token of our appreciation for his help and support over a great many years.

The surprise was very well received by Inspector Neil Sherry, with Garry also handing over a retirement congratulation card to him on behalf of the membership of Bolton MRT.

The whole Bolton MRT wishes Inspector Neil Sherry all the very best upon his imminent retirement from the Police and working life, and to happy and healthy times ahead (Not forgetting the “tasks to do on the house list” that Neil’s wife has drawn up for him to do!)