A HEROIC rescue team which went above and beyond during the Cumbria floods was invited to 10 Downing Street for a special reception to honour those who rose to the challenge. 

Three members of Bay Search and Rescue, based in Flookburgh, were among the emergency personnel who travelling to London Downing Street to be personally thanked by prime minister David Cameron.  

Gary Parsons, founder and station officer of the voluntary organisation, attended alongside Paul Calland, the deputy station officer, and Stephen Fell.

Mr Parsons said: "It was a very special day. It was a real treat to be given the opportunity to go to Number 10 and to see the amazing history it holds in there.

"From a volunteer perspective, it's a real pat on the back for a job well done."

Mr Calland was on bronze command in Kendal during Storm Desmond, while Mr Fell's excellent seamanship allowed him to lead an expedition to restore fresh water to thousands of homes in Patterdale.

Mr Fell was asked to take United Utilities engineers into the flooded area around Ullswater to repair the fresh water pumping station through woods in the pitch black. 

As a result of the operation, fresh water was restored to 300 homes which had been without for two days. 

Mr Parsons, an anaesthetics practitioner at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, added: "This visit was a social paycheck and and it means a huge amount to us.

"The moment you step through the door, you get a very strong sense of power and the sense that this is where a lot of world-changing decisions are taken.

"It's a very, very special place.

"There were a range of organisations like ourselves. 

"Patterdale Mountain Rescue were there, Cumbria and Lancashire fire services, Cumbria and Lancashire police and some ladies from a hair salon that had been completely flooded out.

"There was a real sense of community spirit was in the room. 

"It felt that everyone in that room had worked extremely hard and had put themselves at considerable risk in some way or another."