FUNDING of £3,500 has been awarded to Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team to provide driver training for volunteers.

The money, from Cleveland PCC Steve Turner, has seen 14 members take part in a two-day emergency response driver training course.

The sessions enable team members who are most frequently used as drivers to deploy quickly and safely to emergency call-outs in the team’s 4x4 Land Rovers, using response driving techniques.

The course covered advanced driving skills, how to stabilise such vehicles in emergency conditions and how to safely and correctly use warning sounds and blue lights.

Deputy team leader Mike Gallagher said: “The course allowed us to have our driving reviewed by a professional tutor, learn about best practice and get an update on the rules and regulations governing response drivers.”

Mr Turner recently visited the team’s base and met some of the newly trained drivers.

He said: “I am proud to be able to support their work and help their drivers to attend incidents more quickly and safely.”