91Èȱ¬

An RNLI volunteer has been praised for his "dedication and hard work" as he retires from the life-saving charity after more than three decades.

Friends and colleagues at the RNLI paid tribute to second coxswain Tony Warburton, who joined Hoylake lifeboat crew in 1992.

The charity said the long-serving volunteer also served as both a commander and a pilot on its inshore rescue hovercraft.

Howie Owen, Hoylake RNLI coxswain, said: "We couldn’t save lives at sea without the incredible commitment of volunteers like Tony."

That commitment to the charity came alongside a career at sea and raising a family.

"On behalf of all the crew and volunteering teams at Hoylake lifeboat station, I want to say a huge thank you to Tony for his many years of dedication and hard work on both the lifeboat and hovercraft," said Mr Owen.

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