DERBYSHIRE'S police and crime commissioner has donated one of the force's vans to the county's mountain rescue team.
Alan Charles handed over the keys to the decommissioned vehicle at a ceremony in Ripley yesterday.
It was due to be auctioned off but Detective Constable Phil Lucas, inspired by the work the mountain rescue team does in Derbyshire, persuaded Mr Charles and the Chief Constable, Mick Creedon, to consider the donation.
The pair agreed that it would be worthwhile letting the team have the van, which is worth about £2,000, and rubber-stamped the deal.
Now it will be used by the team's dog handlers to get to the scene of rescues with three-year-old rough collie Elf, due to start his role this year.
Det Con Lucas said: "I'm a mountain walker myself and I was so impressed by all the hard work that this amazing team of volunteers do in Derbyshire that I thought one of the vans could be donated to them.
"I heard the force was to decommission three vehicles and get new ones in their place, so I fired off some e-mails to the Chief Constable and the commissioner and I'm delighted they took the idea on.
"I hope I get priority from the team if I end up stranded on Kinder Scout!"
The Derby Mountain Rescue Team is run by a team of volunteers.Last year, they were called into action more than 500 times.
Their role is to help find walkers, climbers and other people who become stranded or lost in Derbyshire and elsewhere in the country.
Earlier this year, a team from Derbyshire was called in to help Welsh police search for missing five-year-old April Jones, whose killer, Mark Bridger, was jailed for life last week.
Steve Hildritch is a team leader for the mountain rescue team.
He said: "It's great that the police commissioner has chosen to give us this vehicle.
"It will add to and complement the two vehicles we already have and we are delighted with the donation."
Mr Charles said he and Mr Creedon were happy to donate the van.
He said: "The mountain rescuers are volunteers who are experts in their field and assist the police greatly on a number of searches.
"I think donating a £2,000 van is a small price to pay for the invaluable service they offer to the people of Derbyshire and further afield."
