A gold gallantry medal awarded posthumously to one of the heroes of the Penlee lifeboat disaster has gone missing from the RNLI's HQ - and the charity suspects it has been stolen,

The medal was given to William Trevelyan Richards, coxswain of the Solomon Browne, the Penlee lifeboat from Mousehole in Cornwall, which went to the aid of the coaster Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas in December 1981.

Both vessels were lost with all hands: 16 people died including eight volunteer lifeboatmen.

The gold medal, the RNLI's highest award for bravery, was awarded posthumously to William Trevelyan Richards, coxswain of the Solomon Browne.

The medal is one of the most precious artefacts in the RNLI's heritage collection.

In its 192-year history, the RNLI has awarded 151 gold medals to its lifeboat crews. Only one - William Trevelyan Richards - was awarded posthumously. The medal has been compared to the Victoria Cross in its significance and recognition.

The RNLI said the medal was recently found to be missing from a dedicated secure facility at the charity's head office in Poole, Dorset.

In spite of an extensive search the medal has not been found and police have been notified of a suspected theft.

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