A PORT Isaac man has been awarded an MBE for services to Maritime Safety in the Queen's 2015 New Year Honours List.

Ken Richards, the station officer with the Port Isaac Costguard Rescue Team, said: "It is an honour, it is a privilege and it is fantastic."

Mr Richards, 65, has worked as a volunteer coastguard in the Port Isaac Coastguard Rescue Team for 45 years and as a coastguard operations room auxiliary for seven.

He has attended several thousand coastal incidents and is acknowledged as an exemplar of technical rescue both within the Coastguard Rescue Service and wider emergency services community.

During the Boscastle flood of 2004, Mr Richards co-ordinated the on-scene rescue activities of up to eight helicopters, which was said to have made a significant contribution to averting a disaster with no lives being lost.

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.