A FORMER Kendal man has received a top military honour from the Queen for his role in a gruelling six-hour rescue in the Scottish Highlands.

Navy helicopter pilot Lieutenant Commander Martin Lanni was presented with the Air Force Cross for his determination and courage in the face of hostile conditions while leading the rescue of three climbers.

The former Queen Katherine School pupil was handed the award an official ceremony in the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh.

In his Sea King helicopter, he led a night time rescue in the grip of a blizzard near the notorious Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis in May, 2007.

The three climbers were stranded on a ledge on a famously hostile area of the mountain, known as Echo Wall, with five members of the local mountain rescue also in attendance.

Helicopter airlift was their only chance of survival and after Lt Cdr Lanni and his crew’s efforts they finally managed to lift the climbers off the mountain, before returning twice more to pick up the12 members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue.

Lt Cdr Lanni, 39, who last week paid an official visit to Queen Katherine School, landing his helicopter in the school grounds, said: “It was an enormous honour to travel to the Palace of Holyrood and to receive my award from Her Majesty the Queen.

“It is a true high point in my career with the Royal Navy. It was a surprise to hear that I had been awarded the Air Force Cross and it makes me feel humble to be recognised in such a way for simply doing my job.

“That said, it was a tough rescue and the stakes couldn’t have been higher. In addition, I had a superb crew with me and we all pulled together to make sure that those climbers were taken to safety. And the Lochaber Mountain Rescue members also deserve a mention and recognition for their critical role in this rescue.”