Councillors back charity dummies

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Two lifelike lifeboat crew dummies in a Devon town have received a unanimous vote of support from councillors.

The pair, known as Sid and Alma, are a familiar sight outside the independent Sidmouth Lifeboat headquarters.

A single complaint, stating it is unfair a charity should be allowed more than one collection day a year, had put the pair's future in jeopardy.

East Devon District Council voted unanimously to support a recommendation that the dummies should stay.

'Move forward'

The recommendation will now go to the authority's licensing committee, and then a final decision will be made at a meeting of the full council.

Speaking at the meeting, Lifeboat secretary Philip Churchill said: "We are pleased they all voted in support.

"We now move forward to the next committee meeting which we think is in March."

The dummies raise about £14,000 a year towards the rescue service's annual running costs of £50,000 a year.

A petition already has more than 2,400 signatures from as far afield as Hong Kong, Canada and Australia.

The lifeboat service, established in 1968, operates a 25ft (7.66m) inflatable rescue craft manned by a four volunteers.

One of the mannequins is on the pavement outside the lifeboat headquarters, the other across the Esplanade next to the sea wall and they each hold a bucket to collect donations.