A LONG-serving volunteer has switched off his pager for the last time.

Mike Shaw joined Dunbar RNLI in the early 1980s but officially called it a day last Saturday, December 10, after more than 30 years with the station.

The 70-year-old has taken part in a number of callouts over the years, showing his ability to help others in desperate times and gaining the trust of his fellow crewmen and friends.

After 10 years as a crewman, Mr Shaw decided to stand down from the crew and focus on being shore crew.

Since then, he has been the warming face on the pier after long callouts to many of the crew over the years.

Mr Shaw told the Courier he had helped driving out to Torness, where the John Neville Taylor all-weather lifeboat is based, as well as helping to refuel the boats and wash them down after training exercises.

He highlighted how technology had changed over the years since he became involved.

That includes the speed of the boats, which has trebled.

He added: “The difference is we used to go to the Bass Rock and it would take an hour. Now, they can do it there and back in less than an hour.”

Mr Shaw, who previously owned the Foresters Arms on Dunbar’s Colvin Street, was presented with his long service medal at the crew’s annual Christmas meal last Saturday night, along with a gift of an inscribed pocket watch and a bottle of port from all the crew and the station.

Mr Shaw described the RNLI as being “a real family kind of thing and it is all over the country”.

He added: “The crew themselves, out of the crew fund, they paid for the dinner and gave me a gold watch.

“It is a pocket watch with an inscription, which was very thoughtful, and a bottle of port, which is traditional.

“That was very thoughtful of them and really appreciated.”

A spokesman for Dunbar RNLI said: “Mike will be deeply missed by all here at Dunbar Lifeboat Station and we would like to thank him for all his time and work he has given up over the many years of service.

“From all the crew here at Dunbar, we wish Mike the very best in the future.”