VOLUNTEERS who scan the seas off Redcar have called on the Government to revoke plans to cut Humber Coastguard’s opening hours.
The proposal was announced last year as part of plans to cut the number of UK coastguard stations from 19 to nine, only four of which would have remained open 24 hours a day.
Humber Coastguard, which takes in our stretch of coastline as part of its Scottish border to the Humber Estuary coverage, was due to be scaled back from 24-hour-a-day coverage to daylight hours only.
But reports now suggest the Government is thinking again about the UK proposals after widespread opposition.
Commons Leader Sir George Young told MPs the Government was ‘‘having another look’’ at the proposals and would respond before the Commons rises in July.
And one of the groups which works closely with Humber Coastguard, Redcar Coastwatch, hopes any review will reverse the plan to cut Humber’s hours.
Redcar Coastwatch station controller Ray Preston said: “If Humber went to daylight hours, it would make it more difficult for us, as volunteers, to do the extra work which coastguards rely on.
“A lot of local information would be lost. For example, recently, when Humber had a problem, our calls got redirected to Yarmouth. I reported a yacht close to the rocks at Redcar Scar - but he thought I said Ravenscar.
Mr Preston said Humber was “not just a coastguard station” as it helped with incidents inland and on waterways.
He added: “We do a wonderful job as volunteers but we can’t do everything the coastguard station, with all its technology and expertise, can do.