A MOUNTAIN rescue group teamed up with a women’s circle during an emergency operation involving a missing woman.

Bolton Mountain Rescue team (BMR) chanced upon Deane Church Ladies Guild during their search for Gulabben Nagin Patel, of Deane.

The ladies played their part in the operation by making cups of tea and snacks for the team — and five months later they were welcomed to the BMR base as a thank you for their hard work.

BMR’s team leader Garry Rhodes said: “We were involved in the search for a 60-year-old woman missing from home. We were based outside Deane Church.

"The guild members were arriving for their meeting and kindly offered any help.”

To thank the guild members for their help, BMR invited them to its base at Ladybridge Hall in Chorley New Road, Bolton.

They enjoyed a presentation about BMR’s work and history and watched a demonstration of rescue equipment.

Mr Rhodes added: “We would like to thank all the members of Deane Church Ladies Guild for their interest and support and their kind donation of £40 towards the team’s work, which is greatly appreciated.”

The guild’s leader, Josie Crompton, said: “We were only too pleased to help out on the night of the search in April and it was lovely to be invited to the team’s headquarters.

“They provided a very warm welcome and all of our group found the work of the team absolutely fascinating. They do a wonderful job.

“We were amazed by the sheer number of incidents they attend in a year and impressed by the hours they all put in.”

The missing woman was found safe and well the following day.