MILITARY personnel were drafted in this week to airlift much needed supplies to isolated and vulnerable residents around eastern parts of Eden who have been cut off for days by huge snow drifts.

An RAF Chinook helicopter, which was based at Carlisle airport from Monday, made regular trips to remote areas including the East Fellside, South Stainmore and Alston Moor.

Cumbria County Council took the decision to call in the armed forces, because people had been stranded in their homes with dwindling supplies for up to five days, and the plan was given official approval by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday.

The helicopter arrived in Carlisle on Monday morning and was soon fully loaded with vital supplies including food and groceries; coal and logs for heating; goods for babies including nappies, food and formula; and electrical heating appliances — with the first flight setting off around 10-45am.

Around 35 members of the armed forces, including crew from the Royal Air Force, Royal Marines and soldiers from the regular Army based in Lancashire, were joined by police and volunteers from local mountain rescue teams throughout the operation.

The aircraft was available to the county council for at least 48 hours and Wing Commander Gary Lane, RAF regional liaison officer for the North West, said planning had started from 11-15am on Sunday, with official MoD approval given later that afternoon and the “activation order” issued during the early evening.

Speaking during the first flight, he added they would have a much better idea of the situation on the ground when the Chinook returned. “We currently have permission to continue for 48 hours but we will see how that continues.

“The Chinook helicopter gives the partnership another dimension to be able to deliver vital supplies by air to areas that are cut off by other means.”

Cumbria County Council’s leader, Stewart Young, said any decision to bring in the military was not taken “lightly” and added: “Without doubt this is the right decision. We have some communities who have now been stranded for five days and we have to do all we can to ensure that they are safe and well.

“Despite our very best efforts and our crews working day and night we are experiencing ongoing, significant challenges in accessing some of our communities. The depth of snow and the challenging nature of the terrain is making progress on clearing roads exceptionally slow.

“As a result it is estimated that it will be at least 48 hours before we reach many more of these communities hence the need to bring in military assistance and we are very grateful for their help.”

He added that, while a thaw had arrived in low lying areas, it would take longer for the snow in the more hilly areas to melt. “Drifts of between 12 and 15ft are going to take time to melt.”

Mr Young said there could be between 100 and 150 people in remote locations who could be running out of supplies or were vulnerable because of the length of time they had been cut off.

He added: “If you live in these places you are usually a lot more prepared, it’s not necessarily unexpected for them, but after this length of time, even the most well prepared are becoming vulnerable and we are concerned about them which is why we called in the military.”

Stephen Hall, the county council’s assistant director for highways and chairman of the multi-agency tactical co-ordination group, said they had prepared “generic welfare packs” as well as specific requirements such as medication.

Sgt Gav Anderson, one of the Chinook’s crewmen, was involved in the first flight and he said people were happy to see them when they landed. “I think people just wanted to feel that they weren’t cut off and people were thinking about them. We are just happy to be able to help,” he said.

Warrant Officer Roger Atkinson, of the Royal Marines, was also on the first flight and said despite what they had been through over the past five days people were “bearing up well”.

He added: “The lads really enjoyed being able to help the local population of the North Pennines. People are just really pleased to see us.”

WO Atkinson said some residents had said they were coping while others had said they were running out of food and fuel.

Superintendent Justin Bibby, from Cumbria police, said: “The multi-agency partnership’s priority is to help and support the communities that have been affected by the severe, adverse weather conditions that we have experienced.

“We’d like to thank the military for supporting us and assisting us to get vital supplies and equipment to those areas that continue to be isolated by snow.”

During the initial stages of planning for the operation Cumbria police approached Penrith Rugby Club to ask if the car park could be used as a place for the Chinook to land.

Club treasurer Chris Lilley said the call was received on Sunday afternoon but the decision was later taken to use the airport as a base.

Rory Stewart, MP for Penrith and the Border, saw first hand the scale of the operation and said: “It was a great privilege to spend time today with our emergency services out on Alston Moor, meeting the military teams, and visiting the Gold and Silver Command centres in Penrith, and to be able to thank everyone in person for their tireless work in delivering vital supplies and services to those affected by the heavy snow in the past week.

“This is a terrible, terrible situation, and I am humbled by the dedication people have shown. The depth of snow, the terrain, and the sparsity of our communities has made this effort doubly difficult — with over 60 teams out with heavy dig, snow blower and plough machinery.”

He gave thanks to members of Cumbria Constabulary, the fire and rescue services, the military, Cumbria County Council and the highways team, the NHS, mountain rescue teams, local GPs and the out-of-hours doctors at CHoC and hospice staff. He added: “And the countless volunteers and some outstanding community representatives.

“They have identified the most vulnerable homes and families, providing food, heating, medicine and rescue to those priority cases. Co-ordinating this response has not been easy — and while I realise many are frustrated I think we all need to remember just how extreme the combination of snow, wind and terrain has been.

“Road infrastructure has been severely compromised, and people have told me that these are the worst conditions they have witnessed in living memory. A big and heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who has been involved in getting to our communities in the past few days.”

Residentsʼ relief as cavalry arrives

ONE of the first places which was visited by the Chinook helicopter on Monday was Park Head, near Kirkoswald and Renwick, which had been cut off since the previous Wednesday.

Residents said the drifts covering roads leading to the village were several feet deep and staff from the county council’s highways department had finally managed to break through just minutes before the aircraft’s arrival.

Natalie Lewis, whose husband Dan works as a vet in Brampton, said the drifts were too deep for the snow plough to reach them and the council had also sent in a snow blower to clear the access.

She said there were a few elderly neighbours living in the village and they had lost their electricity supply for around 30 hours during the emergency.

Mrs Lewis said her family had only moved to Park Head last year and added: “Some of our neighbours were more prepared than us.”

The couple have three children — nine-year-old Xander, seven-year-old Drew and Pippa, aged two, and she said the boys were “hugely excited” to see the helicopter land.

“They (the crew) were just checking that everyone was safe and well and asked us ‘do you need provisions?’ It was very noisy, we could hear it coming, and it landed in a field near some houses. The boys wanted to ask them about their helicopter.”

Brian Smythe, who also lives in the village, saw the arrival of the Chinook at around 12.30pm and said it was a “short stopover” to check everyone was all right.

He said the electricity supply went off around 5am on Friday and it was not restored until 12.30pm the following day. “We just thanked them for coming — no-one was desperate for supplies,” he said. “There are other villages which are worse off than us.”

Mr Smythe said one of his neighbours, a woman in her 80s, was severely disabled and during the visit staff from social services were able to visit her to make sure she was all right. “She was so pleased to see them,” he said.

When the Chinook landed in Mallerstang, the crew called on 87-year-old Nancy Thexton and her son Bill who farm at Castlethwaite.

They were given food and a quantity of coal and Mrs Thexton said: “They brought quite a few things. I wasn’t desperate for anything — I’m nearly 88 and I’ve seen quite a few storms up here.”

She said they had been snowed in for a few days but she had been contacted daily by Cumbria County Council to check on her welfare. Mrs Thexton said the helicopter crew had done a good job.

From The Cumberland & Westmorland Herald on Saturday, March 10, 2018.