BOLTON Mountain Rescue Team has received nearly £30,000 from the Department for Transport today as part of a £1 million boost to search and rescue teams across the UK.

The volunteers have been given £29,500 to boost their ability to search for missing people in water and evacuate flooded properties.

This will “ensure rescue teams can respond to situations quicker and more safely”, the Department for Transport said.

Bolton Mountain Rescue Team covers 360 square miles from Rivington, Manchester Airport, and Wigan in the west to Darwen and Bury in the east.

The team can deploy further afield and are on call 24/7, providing support to Greater Manchester and Lancashire Fire rescue services on a variety of incidents whenever required.

Steve Fletcher, a team leader at Bolton Mountain Rescue, said: "We are delighted to receive this significant grant support from the Department for Transport.

“The money we receive will help us purchase a new water incident support vehicle and boat trailer, improving our ability to deploy and support our community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Fifty charities in total will receive funding for essential search and rescue equipment, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced.

Mr Shapps said: “Our rescue boat teams carry out vital work to keep our rivers, lakes and inshore areas safe.

“These inspirational charities and their dedicated volunteers save lives every day, and this additional funding will ensure that they have the craft, equipment, and resources to provide these services year-round.”

Since launching in 2014, the Rescue Boat Grant Fund has provided £5.7 million to 104 charities around the UK.