LANCASHIRE'S chief emergency planning officer Mike Wagstaff is to retire after having been with the County Council for 17 years.

Mr Wagstaff joined the Emergency Planning Section of the County Council in 1985 following 27 years service in the Armed Forces.

For much of his time in the Army he was a tutor in International Relations and Strategic Studies, his final appointment being the military representative in the Department of Politics and Economics at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

A welcome change in his return to civilian life has been the opportunity to stay in one place for 16 years.

During his time with Emergency Planning he has seen the section move from a preoccupation with civil defence to a service which aims to prepare for, and respond to, civil emergencies affecting the people and environment of Lancashire.

There have been many interesting challenges posed as well as many rewarding moments, one of the most memorable being the preparations to receive and accommodate 300 Kosovan refugees in 1999.

Mike said: "Since I became the Principal Emergency Planning Officer the number and variety of emergency incidents has increased, emphasising the need to be prepared for whatever eventuality arises."

In retirement Mike and his wife Sheila plan to spend a large part of each year beachcombing in a sunny idyll in the Mediterranean.