Letter: Do Tom's 34 years RNLI service count for nothing?

The debacle over the taking out on the sea the Scarborough RNLI Lifeboat Frederick William Plaxton on an exercise without permission is going a bit overboard by the RNLI.

The coxswain of Scarborough Lifeboat Mr Tom Clark MBE, is not going to put lives in danger and the lifeboat is an all weather lifeboat.

The coxswain is a very experienced man who knows the power of the sea and has the years of service to prove it and no amount of paper filling or money can give the RNLI these dedicated experienced sea going people.

My view is if all the boxes were not ticked off properly before a launch maybe the RNLI should have had a severe word with the coxswain, but to sack him is wrong. It seems 34 years of service with honours and just dismissed at a click of a finger counts for nothing.

I hope the decision to dismiss Mr Clark is overturned and that common sense prevails, all people who work in the emergency services are dedicated and we should respect them all.

J Large

Shire Croft

Scarborough