THE District Officer for Portland Coastguard has been awarded for his service to search and rescue.

Mark Rodaway, 49, said it felt amazing have been awarded an OBE.

Mr Rodaway said: “I’m absolutely delighted. Just to be mentioned in the honours list is amazing but this is just incredible.”

Sadly Mr Rodaway’s mother Pamela passed away in October and he said he would have loved her to have known.

In 2004 Mr Rodaway, who was born and raised in Bournemouth, became District Officer for Portland Coastguard MRCC on Weymouth harbourside.

He said: “If I had looked ahead at my life I’d never for a moment have thought I would end up in charge of search and rescue in my home county - that was really quite something.”

In 2008 he received the Prince of Wales Honorary Commodores Award for his work during the MSC Napoli disaster, only one of three people to ever receive it.

He said: “The work that coastguards do matters, because you’re talking about people’s lives.

“At Portland I am surrounded by a team of fantastic coastguards. When you are leading that team it’s very easy to do your best work because they are inspiring.

“I’m biased but I think I have the best team in the country.”

Mr Rodaway will be celebrating the news today with his wife Cindy and father John at their home in Bournemouth.