FORTY members of the Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team have been awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.

To be eligible for the medal, team members were required to have served at least five years as a member of the team on February 6 2022.

Of the current team members, 40 were eligible while 14 of the members were existing recipients of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal award in 2012.

Six members are also holders of the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal which was awarded in 2002.

Local Area Commander for the Scottish Borders, Chief Inspector Vincent Fisher made the presentations to a number of those eligible at a ceremony last night Wednesday June 15 2022.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “All members of Tweed Valley MRT are volunteers and regardless of length of service, each and every team member makes significant personal sacrifice to help those in need in and around the Lothians and Scottish Borders.

“All our search and rescue teams, Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team, Border Search and Rescue Unit, Borders Water Rescue Team, are charity organisations relying on public support and donations to provide and invaluable service to the public.

“The volunteers make unquantifiable sacrifices in their personal lives daily to attend a range of call outs at a moment’s notice 365 days a year.

“The Lothians and Scottish Borders Division would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those members receiving the award and extend our gratitude and thanks to all the volunteers for providing an exemplary service and look forward to continuing our close working relationship.”