THE leader of Cornwall Council paid special tribute to the people of Cornwall for their resilience and community spirit as the county battled the ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma.

Cllr Adam Paynter (Liberal Democrat) said: “The people of Cornwall have shown remarkable community spirit in the face of very challenging circumstances. There have been some amazing stories emerge which truly show what residents of Cornwall are made of.

“I would also like to pay special tribute to the commitment of emergency services, council staff and volunteers who went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure people could get home and stay warm.

“While many people were tucked up safely in their homes as the storm gave us its worst, there were thousands of people across Cornwall balancing their jobs with the care of their family, looking the storm in the eye and putting others first.

“Many of them worked around the clock, slept at work, or walked through the snow for hours to serve others.

“To all of those people who put others first – a heartfelt thank you for your service. From police, the fire and rescue service, paramedics and hospital staff who responded to emergencies, through to those who helped keep the main roads open, looked after our water and power supplies, to those who care for the vulnerable – you all selflessly put yourselves out in appalling conditions to help others.

“The relentless focus of all services on making sure the public are safe, reassured and cared for is immeasurable.”

Cllr Paynter also praised local volunteer organisations who pulled out all the stops to help others, and local businesses who donated goods, stayed open or pitched in to help others.

He said: “It is on occasions such as this where community spirit really comes to life and brings out the best in people who put others before themselves to keep us, our friends and families safe.

“I would also like to thank all the journalists who covered the storms, sharing important public information and keeping our community up to date. You played an important role in helping to keep Cornwall safe too.”

The council would like to create a thank you tribute book for ‘heroes of the storms’ and invite members of the public to contribute messages or stories.

He added: “We’ve already received quite a few messages via social media and want to give people the opportunity to say thanks in a book we will publish online. Whether you’d like to say thanks to a Council employee, the police, a nurse or your neighbour, you are welcome to send a message.”

Messages can be sent to the council by email to [email protected] or sent by mail to: Snow Thank You, Cornwall Council, County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro, TR1 3AY.

Messages can be submitted until Friday, March 23.