Vital equipment stolen from Calder Valley Search and Rescue team

Items including a red and black Macpac rucksack with equipment inside it valued at £600 were taken from a team member’s car on Friday evening in Thornton, Bradford.

Team Leader Les Wilson said: “Some of the contents are standard things you would expect to find in a rucksack such as a climbing harness and head torch.

“However, other items that were in the rucksack clearly identify the owner as a member of a Mountain Rescue team. These include a white Petzl helmet that is labelled with Mountain Rescue livery and a small but very powerful hand torch used for searching. Other items in the rucksack included a pair of grey over trousers, Berghaus gloves, Keela Outdoors hat, karabiners, slings and a two person Bivi shelter”.

“Team members volunteer their spare time and pay out of their own pockets to be equipped ready to help others in distress in wild and remote places so it’s very sad when something like this happens. Obviously it’s at times like this that other team members will rally around to try share their older gear to help replenish the stolen equipment.”

Anyone with information should contact the CVSRT or West Yorkshire Police on 101.