A ROYAL Marine from Greenock brushed shoulders with the stars when he made the finals of the Daily Record’s “Our Heroes Awards”.
Marine David Roberts (24) from 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group was invited to the bash at Glasgow’s Hilton Hotel after being short-listed in the “Our Forces Hero” category.
David was serving on Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Fort Victoria in a UK counter-piracy task force in the Indian Ocean in January 2012 when he was part of a team given the dangerous task of boarding a suspected pirate vessel carrying a haul of weapons.
He said: “During the boarding we mustered all 13 pirates at the front of their dhow before a second team came to help with manpower and a search of the vessel.
“During the search we found a cache of weapons and other proof that these men were actually Somali pirates and not fishermen. The suspected pirates were taken on board RFA Fort Victoria and then taken to the Seychelles where they faced prosecution.”
Although the “Our Forces Hero” category was won on the night by Corporal Keith Mitchell of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, reaching the finals was an experience which David found extra special. “Talk about great timing,” he said.  “I was at the Glasgow Hilton eating a delicious three-course meal while my troop was on the Isle of Skye on a survival exercise!
“As it was a national event there was quite a few celebrities such as Celtic manager Neil Lennon, Rangers manager  Ally McCoist, the cast from Mrs Brown’s Boys, and singers Sharleen Spiteri and Amy Macdonald.
The Daily Record holds the awards annually to give recognition to the people of Scotland who do remarkable things to make the country proud. Categories include “Our Little Hero”, “Our Senior Hero”, and “Our Fundraising Hero”.
David said: “I am grateful to the Daily Record for having me as a finalist and congratulate not only the winners but every finalist for the remarkable jobs they have done throughout Scotland.”
Via: http://www.inverclydenow.com/
