A SEARCH for two missing teenagers sent Morecambe's Hurley Flyer into action, marking the hovercraft's first life-saving mission since its launch last year.

The craft's four-man crew joined police officers and search dogs late on Saturday night to look for the 14 and 15-year-old boys, reported missing from Ridgway Park School, Silverdale.

Morecambe Police's new inspector Richard Debicki said: "Because of their age, the time and foggy weather we were very concerned. We believed the youngsters might have been making across the sands to get to a railway station so the search involved local officers from Cumbria, Lancashire, the RNLI and police dogs.

"As a result of an excellent team effort they were found walking near the Albion Hotel, in Arnside, just before 2am on Sunday. They were both safe and unscathed by their ordeal."

RNLI's Morecambe-based hovercraft the first of its kind in Britain was launched at 10pm for an extensive search of mud flats and the coastline, working in darkness and dense fog over terrain pitted with deep gullies.

Senior commander Harry Roberts said: "It was foggy, with 200-yards visibility. There were a lot of gullies in the mud and it was a bit hairy in the dark. We were out for two hours but returned because of the fog. It was too dangerous to carry on with the hovercraft."

The crew waited until the tide started to come in and were about to launch the D-class lifeboat when the boys were found.

Mr Roberts said: "The craft and crew performed excellently. The conditions were the worst you could possibly have for the hovercraft but it did its job. No other vehicle could have gone into the area where we searched apart from a helicopter."

Easter rail

strike advice

GUARDS on Virgin Trains are poised for strike action on the eve of the long Easter holiday weekend.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers has called the 24-hour industrial action for next Thursday, April 17, because of a dispute over safety. Nine train companies are affected, including Virgin West Coast and Virgin Cross Country.

Virgin Trains press officer David Ewart told the Gazette: "We are assuring passengers that if the threatened industrial action by RMT union guards takes place, West Coast trains will run their normal timetable with a few peak-hour services withdrawn."

Meanwhile, a special timetable offering around two-thirds of normal Cross Country services will be put in place.

Passengers are advised to check their Easter holiday travel plans in advance by calling National Rail Inquiries on 08457-484950 or visiting http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

Virgin Trains has been training its staff to take the place of guards during industrial action.

April 10, 2003 14:30