IN a major dispute between water rescue groups, a team of trained volunteers has called on the Severn Area Rescue Association to remove itself from Upton-upon-Severn.

The new Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue team comprises 27 members of the former Upton unit of SARA, together with 16 new recruits from the Malvern Archaeological Survey Team, a group of highly trained and equipped divers, sponsored by QinetiQ.

Chairman Dave Walker, who was voted off the SARA committee in March, said the entire Upton team had now left and joined Mercia. They had been maintaining a SARA team to provide emergency cover in Upton while the new organisation was being put in place. "However, on May 20 SARA withdrew the Upton membership, which had the immediate effect of standing the entire team down and removing all immediate safety cover in the Upton area," said Mr Walker. "All the SARA equipment at Upton, with the exception of what was originally the Upton Community Boat equipment, was collected two weeks ago, leaving only one boat and no support equipment locked in the Upton boat shed." He said Mercia now had all the necessary equipment to become operational, but was being blocked by SARA holding on to the base at Upton Marina. This week SARA appealed for volunteers to form a new core crew at Upton.

SARA executive secretary Andrea Stanley said the SARA Upton station was temporarily suspended, but cover was being provided by other SARA stations, including Wyre Forest, based at Kidderminster and Sharp-ness. There were two SARA members based at Upton, while five former members and 12 new volunteers were interested in joining. "We are confident we can form a new SARA team in Upton," said Mrs Stanley.

Steve Arber, manager of Upton Marina, said he wished the two sides would become reconciled.

"I think it is desirable to have a rescue service based at the Marina and I don't really care what they are called, as long as they are ratified by the emergency services," he said.

REASONS given by the Upton unit for leaving SARA:

Members were concerned about SARA's management and accountancy procedures.

This came to a head when money raised specifically for a new Land Rover at Upton was taken into the SARA pot for use by other stations.

The tragedy at Stourport, in which a woman died after an overloaded boat overturned, highlighted problems with the SARA Wyre Forest team's communications and procedures.

Mercia has raised these concerns with the Charity Commission and the radio communications agency, Ofcom.