Wainfleet flood hero gets invite to palace

A local hero who claims all he did was 'turn up and fill a few sandbags' during the Wainfleet floods has been invited to Buckingham Palace.
Matthew Coley and Martin Reeson filled 3,000 sandbags to help save the homes of residents in Wainfleet.Matthew Coley and Martin Reeson filled 3,000 sandbags to help save the homes of residents in Wainfleet.
Matthew Coley and Martin Reeson filled 3,000 sandbags to help save the homes of residents in Wainfleet.

Matthew Coley says he 'thought it was a windup' when he received the call from the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire's office inviting him to a garden [party in May.

The self-employed electrical engineer helped deliver 3,000 sandbags to save homes in Wainfleet when the River Steeping burst its banks in June last year..

He and Martin Reeson got stuck in filling and transporting the bags across the town.

In the process they also helped Thorpe Culvert pumping station, which was quickly being overwhelmed by heavy rains.

Their efforts earned them praise from Lincolnshire's Deputy Chief Constable Craig Naylor, who highlighted their plight on twitter by posting their picture: "Two locals in Wainfleet who have made a huge difference by filling and delivering filled sandbags across the town," the tweet stated.

"Great effort to save the Thorpe Culvert pumping station with 3000 sandbags!! Thanks guys."

Matthew said it was fortunate he was self-employed and could just get out and help people - and as a 6ft 3ins rugby player the fact he stood out put him at the centre of things. "As far as I was concerned I'd just turned up to help fill sandbags but, somehow, when anyone came to ask anything or to help, people directed them to me.

"It what happens when you are 6ft 3in giant in the corner."

His colleague gave him far more credit, though. Martin responded to Deputy Chief Constable Naylor's tweet: "We couldn’t have done this without the help of the community filling the bags and the rest helping delivering them.

“A big thank you to everyone doing what they can and thank you again Matthew Coley we all would have been a mess if it wasn’t for you.”

In spite of the local recognition, mixing with Royalty was not something Matthew expected.

The Queen's Garden Party takes place on May 27 and Matthew says he is still quite shocked to be invited. "When I told my partner, Victoria Spillage, she could go she was shocked too," he said..

"It really is something to be invited to such a prestigious event when, on the face of it. you didn't feel you had done that much.

"Although, the way my back ached afterwards, my body wouldn't agree."