Tower lifeboat station helmsman and former Brighton RNLI volunteer Stan Todd has spent over 34 years saving lives at sea and on the River Thames in central London.

During that time he has plucked drowning swimmers from certain death, rescued sailors from sinking yachts in Hurricane winds and found frightened children drifting miles out to sea in rubber dinghies.

Despite responding to his first call for help back in 1980, the desire to save lives still burns brightly within the 55-year-old from Patcham in East Sussex.

Stan said: ‘When the emergency bell goes there is still the adrenalin rush the pager used to give me 30 years ago. I like not knowing what is going to happen each day and that if someone out there needs me, I’ll do everything I possibly can to be there for them.’

‘There are a lot of highs being involved with the RNLI but you also come into contact with tragedy and death and that can affect you. For me it would be tough to do this job without having an understanding wife. If I go home and I’m a bit quiet my wife will know it was a tough day and we’ll talk about it. It’s true that behind every successful lifeboat crew member there is a good partner.’