Northumberland mountain rescue volunteer presented with two prestigious awards

Pete Roberts, from Morpeth, has been given the National Police Search Governance Board Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Mountain Rescue England and Wales Distinguished Service Award.

The lifetime achievement award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the UK search community, while fewer than 70 distinguished service awards have been issued since it was instituted in 1958 and this is the first time a NNPMRT member has been the recipient.

Pete has been a team member with NNPMRT for over 50 years and in that time has served as chairman and team leader twice.

He has played a critical role in a number of high-profile searches, including the search for evidence after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988.

He has also assisted police with searches for high risk vulnerable and missing persons.

In the 1980s, he co-authored a number of research papers in this field and, in 1997, formed the Ce ntre for Search Research alongside a then colleague from Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team.

Pete said: “I feel very honoured to receive these awards that acknowledge my achievements over 50 years of being involved in mountain rescue both locally and nationally.

"Mountain rescue has given me a lot - good friends around the world where I have had the opportunity to travel. I hope that over this time I have been able to contribute to the development of mountain rescue.

"These awards are also a tribute to the countless hours freely given by volunteers to help others and a big thank you to all the long suffering families, wives, husbands and partners who support them in their endeavours.

“Though I am standing down as an operational member of NNPMRT I hope to continue my work on search for missing person as a director of The Centre for Search Research.”

NNPMRT team leader Iain Nixon said: “Both awards are thoroughly well deserved and mark a significant contribution to mountain rescue and search more broadly over five decades.

"The National Police Search Governance Board Award is rarely awarded to individuals outside the police service and we believe this is the first time a mountain rescue volunteer has received this award.”