A HISTORY of first aid volunteering stretching back more than 50 years has come to an end in Watchet.

The Red Cross has formally disbanded its first aid activities in the town, closing the book on a service that has traditionally provided cover for a range of public events and also handed on vital skills to local people and organisations.

Red Cross activities in Watchet were scaled back when the charity declared its centre on the town's Esplanade redundant in 2005.

A group of stalwarts - most with around 50 years' service to the Red Cross under their belts - bought the building and launched it as The Phoenix.

Local Red Cross leader Eddie May said the new organisation provided everything the charity had done, apart from first aid.

"It is with great sadness that I have to be the one to close down a first aid group," said Mr May.

"But there are a lot of reasons beyond my control."

Mr May, who has given 42 years' service to the charity, said the Red Cross branch in Watchet had been started in 1954 by a handful of young mothers and had grown into a 20-strong group by the time he joined it in 1968.

It had remained at that strength until the late 1990s and in addition to the main group, there was also a thriving cadet section.

"But in the nineties the cadets stopped so there were no younger people to follow,"said Mr May.

"With no-one coming through the ranks, the average age soared."

Mr May said red tape, increasing health and safety legislation, the need for more training and the increase in the number of members needed for duties had added to the difficulties.

"So in the end, there was nothing for us to do but disband.

"If we had not worked closely with Ray of the Taunton group and Veronica of the Bridgwater group, we would have disbanded earlier."

The group of seven members who had kept the branch going since the launch of The Phoenix have between them clocked up more than 200 years' service to the Red Cross and two - David Bryant and Nigel Swinburne - will continue to drive for the charity's transport service for oncology patients in Bristol and Taunton.

Mr May said he wanted to thank all the first aiders and members of the group over the years, as well as the groups who had used the service, who he hoped would be able to find alternative first aid cover for their events.