A WATER rescue unit formed at Upton-upon-Severn in April is still waiting for recognition by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.

With the rivers Severn, Teme and Avon running high and the possibility of flooding, members of Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue (MISAR) are trained, equipped and ready to respond to emergencies.

But they cannot be called out by police and fire services, although most of the MISAR volunteers are the same people who previously helped in official search and rescue work under the name of SARA, the Severn Area Rescue Association.

MISAR chairman David Walker said the situation was frustrating.

"We have 43 people in our unit, 30 of them trained rescue workers, but if something goes wrong in the Upton area, we can't be called out," he said.

"Everyone is waiting for an official inspection to say we are OK."

Since the Upton group broke away from SARA and formed MISAR, there has been an ongoing dispute between the two voluntary groups about the ownership of a base at Upton Marina and some of the equipment.

SARA, which has units on the River Severn in Wyre Forest and Sharpness, has held on to the base and claims to be able to provide cover for the Upton area, while MISAR offers the advantage of trained crews on the spot.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Upton from stations at Worcester and Evesham, wants the two voluntary groups to resolve their differences.

District Commander Paul Amos said working with voluntary groups had previously been the responsibility of the police, but was now that of the Fire and Rescue Service.

"We are really keen to work with these people, because they are very enthusiastic and they have done a lot of training and have got some great kit, but we are looking at them afresh and measuring them against our standards," he said.

Mr Amos said he would put forward a proposal for their assessment at a joint meeting with the police and ambulance services in the next couple of weeks.