Police hand rescue team a minibus

Oldham Mountain Rescue Team leader, Mick Nield, receives the keys of the minibus from PC Angela Daniels of GMP’s X Division

GREATER Manchester Police has played good Samaritan to Oldham Mountain Rescue Team by donating a 12-seater minibus to help support their efforts. Sgt Craig Johnson, based at Uppermill, instigated the initiative with officers from the GMP’s X Division based at Middleton.

Sgt Simon Wilkinson from the X Division, who helped arrange the handover, said: “We work very closely with all the mountain rescue teams in our area. They do a terrific job and we know this vehicle will help the Oldham team tremendously.”

MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, Phil Woolas, is pressing Government to re-examine the controversial VAT issue surrounding mountain rescue teams. “Nothing can be done until after the budget,” he said.

“Liam Bryne, chief secretary to the Treasury, has been in Saddleworth with me and met Geoff Haigh from the Rams Head at Denshaw, whose business had been affected by the prolonged snows.

“He was deeply shocked to hear just how much snow we’d had — and conditions mountain rescue teams faced.” A £2,000 donation to the Oldham team from Saddleworth Rotary Club was wiped out by paying VAT on the cost of winter equipment.