A former RNLI volunteer who donated a ship’s bell to Lyme Regis lifeboat station returned to the station to mark his 99th birthday and to view the newly polished brass bell.

Fred Day, from Uplyme, was the man in charge as honorary secretary at the lifeboat station from 1987 to 1994. He was a merchant navy chief engineer in BP oil tankers and on retirement, after 32 years, he was presented with the bell from the 101,605 tonne oil tanker British Argosy.

He later presented the bell to the RNLI to mark the opening of the Lyme Regis lifeboat station in 1997 and it hangs just inside the entrance to this day.

A few weeks ago Fred called in at the lifeboat station to check on the bell. He me press officer Richard Horobin who said: “Fred was pleased to see the bell but politely pointed out that it needed a bit of a polish. As he was leaving the station he reminded me he would be 99 in a few weeks time, so we thought it would be nice to give the bell a good polish and invite him back to inspect it on his birthday.”

Lifeboat station tour guide Chris MacDonald spent a few satisfying hours bringing the bell back to its gleaming brilliance.

And Fred, who still rides his battery-powered bicycle, said of his 99th birthday ‘present’ “That’s much better I hope you can keep the bell shining for years to come.”