A former pupil of Greenhead School, Keighley, who was part of a rescue team deployed to India following the massive earthquake that hit the city of Ahmedabad has returned to Britain.

Stefan Hopkins, 35, is now appealing for donations for the charity Rapid UK, which trains specialist teams to identify and rescue trapped victims.

Stefan said: "The situation in India is horrific. I can only describe it as looking like the aerial photographs of Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped.

"I can't describe the scale of it, people are sleeping on the streets because they either don't dare return to what's left of their homes or they have no house at all to return to."

The 12 strong Rapid UK team spent nine hours and twenty minutes rescuing a ten year old boy from the wreckage in Bhuj, one of the worst hit towns.

Stefan said: "We were trying to avoid him having his legs amputated, and although we rescued him without having to do so, his injuries were so severe that one leg has since been amputated below the knee. We searched for hours trying to find his mother and younger brother, but sadly when we found them they were dead."

Stefan explained that the boy's father had been in Bombay and had immediately returned home to Bhuj when he heard about the earthquake.

The man searched through the devastation alone, trying to find his house and family in the rubble.

He came to the Rapid UK base camp desperate for help, understandably traumatised and overjoyed that his son could be saved.

Stefan served with the RAF for six years as an air traffic controller and was also a member of the RAF's search and rescue team.

He joined the Rapid UK team two years ago. This was his first mission.

Stefan said: "It was a baptism by fire. We went through highs and lows. But we are lucky, we have come home to our families. Those poor people in India have lost everything. But the way they carried themselves, the dignity and generosity they showed is inspiring.

Rapid UK is a registered charity and relies on sponsorship.

If you would like to support the charity please send cheques made payable to Rapid UK to Stefan Hopkins at The Rest House, Ross Road, Huntley, Gloucester, GL19 3EX.