DESPICABLE: Volunteer mountain rescuer hit by £3k equipment raid at home

Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue team leader Ian Johnston, 56, has described the theft as ‘shoddy’ and said it is putting lives at risk.

Mr Johnston was asleep upstairs with his partner when thieves broke in to his home on Sunny Bank Road, Helmshore and stole two pairs of car keys and a handbag.

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They used the keys to steal a red Porsche Boxster and a silver Volvo V70 Estate off the driveway.

Unbeknown to the thieves there was a black and yellow Grivel 38 rucksack and a holdall in the Volvo containing £3,000 of specialised mountain rescue equipment, including a GPS-enabled radio used by rescuers while on callouts.

Mr Johnston, who is a rope rescue specialist, said he is borrowing spare kit at the moment, meaning the team can not take on any more volunteers. But all his specialised rope rescue equipment, which is used to hoist patients on stretchers from isolated locations, is his own personal property and without it he can not perform rope rescues.

Mr Johnston, a retired firefighter who has volunteered at the mountain rescue team for 25 years, said: “They’re oblivious to what they have done. I don’t think they give a hoot what they have done. They probably stole the vehicle without realising what was in it.

“If they haven’t got the gall to make sure it’s returned to me it is despicable. This is potentially putting lives at risk.”

Among the missing kit is mountain-rescue branded clothing including a Mountain Equipment Kongur MR waterproof jacket, a Mountain Equipment Fitzroy jacket, a first aid kit and helmet, plus personal outdoor gear.

Mr Johnston said mountain rescue teams across England and Wales are looking for the kit and said the thieves would not be able to sell it because the voluntary groups only buy brand new equipment.

Anyone with information about the theft, which happened between 11pm on Friday and 8am on Saturday, should call police via 101, quoting log number 366 of the 22 August.