THE father of a teenager who died in a road traffic accident has received a special honour for his fundraising efforts for the fire service. Tim West was awarded a Certificate of Commendation on Thursday (June 11) after he raised more than �14,000 for th

THE father of a teenager who died in a road traffic accident has received a special honour for his fundraising efforts for the fire service.

Tim West was awarded a Certificate of Commendation on Thursday (June 11) after he raised more than �14,000 for the Fire Fighters Charity.

Mr West, of Hopbine Court, Ramsey, raised the money as a thank you to the firefighters who tried to save the life of his son, Lewis.

The 17-year-old died in July last year when his car veered off the B1040 in Ramsey and crashed into a derelict building.

Mr West said: "It is nice to be recognised for our fundraising efforts. At the end of the day we need something to get out teeth into to keep us going after losing Lewis. It is nearly a year since we lost him and people say it gets easier, but it doesn't."

A Lewis West memorial golf day is being held Lakeside Lodge in Pidley on July 24 from 7am. Money raised will go to the Road Peace charity, which provides support to the victims of road crashes. Tickets cost �65 and include 36-holes, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a disco and can be booked by visiting the Lewis West memorial page on Facebook.

The awards ceremony, which took place at the Marriott Hotel, also honoured firefighters who had gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Malcolm Townsend, crew manager at Papworth Fire Station, David Richardson, district manager at Huntingdonshire and Trevor Parnell, a Ramsey firefighter, all received long service awards after completing 20 years of service.

Kevin Bowen, former business manager at fire headquarters in Huntingdon was presented with a chairman's award after completing more than 25 years' service.

There were also awards for Teri Saber, group manager for control at fire headquarters in Huntingdon, and Joe Cavilla, a firefighter from St Neots for organising a series of fundraising activities.