KIRKBY Stephen Mountain Rescue Team has celebrated it's 50th anniversary at Tebay Services Hotel with more than 60 guests attending the event.

As well as current team members attending the celebration one of the team's founding members Heb Lumley also joined.

Other guests included Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall ; Kirkby Stephen Town Council, Joan Johnston and County Councillor Phil Dew.

Guests were reminded of the long history of the team, from the time when rescuers responded in their own vehicles and kit, with just two radios that filled a rucksack each.

The team was one of the first to have its own purpose-built base when it was built around 25 years ago.

Unusually the volunteer team has only had three Team Leaders, with both Peter Day and Arthur Littlefair serving around 23 years each.

During its existence Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team has had around 190 volunteer members in total.

The celebration, on March 26th, also included the launch of the team's new Resilience Plan as well as the annual AGM.

The Base Resilience project aims to enhance the teams provision, to ensure it can respond effectively at any time and in any circumstances to callouts, both on the hills and in the community.