JUBILANT members of a rescue team which covers more than 100 miles of the notorious Morecambe shoreline have won a two-year campaign to keep one of its life-saving crafts.

A row erupted in January last year when the Maritime and Coastguard Agency announced it was going to take Walney Coastguard’s 5.1-metre general purpose boat out of service because it no longer met the updated Rescue Boat Code.

The 13-strong crew insisted there was a need for the boat, which is used alongside a rescue craft about 40 times a year to transport crew and equipment.

Members launched a campaign to keep the boat, which can be launched from shores, in estuaries and on lakes, with the support of the Furness community and the MP for Barrow and Furness John Hutton.

When the MCA realised the strength of opposition to removing the boat, it agreed to leave it in service until an independent company from Southampton carried out a full risk assessment.

The report published last month concluded that rescue times would increase between Kirkby-in-Furness and Humphrey Head if the boat was removed from service.

On Monday, chief coastguard for the MCA John Astbury announced Walney would receive a new £50,000 craft to replace the ageing general-purpose boat.

“We are pretty chuffed,” said station officer at Walney Steve Simm. “We knew the evidence was there to prove there was a need for the boat, so this just backs up what we have said all along.” The new craft will be delivered by summer next year when the current boat will be removed from service.

Mr Simm added: “This is quite a significant investment for the area as it is not something that happens everyday. It would not have happened if we had not got the support from the community and local councils.” MP Mr Hutton commended the coastguard team for its “patient” and “professional” approach to the exercise.