SEARCH and Rescue volunteers brushed up on their German when they were visited by six paramedics from Bremen.

Rossendale Search and Rescue Team played host to the team because of a link involving team member Jenny Handley, from Cowpe, whose daughter Natalie is a paramedic in Germany, where she has settled and made her home.

It is the third time the group have visited the UK and secretary of the team Andy Simpson, from Manchester, said he hoped the success of the trip would lead to the two groups forging closer links in the future.

He said: "They went to visit an ambulance factory in Yorkshire, which is the largest in the country, and then spent a full day with the team before joining Yorkshire ambulance in Halifax for the day.

"We held a lecture at our premises in Clegg Street about mountain rescue in Rossendale and Pendle and showed slides about our activities.

"We then went through what kit we carry and what is kept in the vehicles and went up to Troy Quarry off Grane Road in Haslingden, where a number of rescue scenarios and casualties were set up.

"They split up into three groups of two visitors with a couple of team members and when they got to a situation we talked through what they were going to do.

"It was quite instructive and we found it very interesting the way they would approach situations. They got the chance to use pieces of equipment which they would not normally have on their ambulances, such as vacuum mattresses, which is wrapped round the casualty and the air is removed to provide a full body splint, and traction splints.

"It was very useful for both sides and we were able to show the paramedics how we would rescue a casualty and carry them over rough ground."

The link was cemented when the Bremen paramedics of two women and four men presented the Rossendale team with a plaque which will go up on the headquarters wall and some pieces of kit which their British counterparts don't use at present.

Andy added: "We were saying it would be nice to send a team of our members over to Germany.

"This is the third group that has come over here and we are hoping to forge stronger links."