Worker ‘chuffed to bits’ as he is thanked for decades of service as mayor visits Portsmouth International Port

Freight security assistant Lee Benfield was presented with a 25 years service award for his time in his current role, and he has worked for the port for a total of 36 years.

He said: ‘I’m chuffed to bits, the award is much appreciated.

‘It’s a good team, it’s like family.

‘My dad also worked here for 30 years so it’s in the family.

‘It really is a joy to come to work.’

Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Frank Jonas, and his sister, Lady Mayoress Joy Maddox, attended the ceremony while they met some of the key workers who kept the port operational throughout the pandemic.

They were given a tour of the terminal and shown the new Covid protocols and signage in place, before taking part in the presentation.

Cllr Jonas said: ‘I’m privileged to be here, I wanted to see the people who for 16 to 18 months have kept the port operational. The staff are lovely people.

‘It’s been brilliant, we can look forward to a bright future.’

Portsmouth International Port remained open 24/7 throughout the pandemic, keeping food and medical supplies moving, and port staff were recognised by the Department for Transport as key workers.

Mike Sellers, port director, said: ‘It all gets done because of the support of the city and the commitment of the staff.

‘For the lord mayor to come today and thank them for their work is a proud moment.

‘At a time when the supermarket shelves were being stripped, we continued to service the critical freight.’

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Mike added that the port did not have to make any job cuts as a result of the pandemic, meaning that no one has lost their job.

Helen Woodward, office support assistant, was trained to work the freight gates during the pandemic - a far cry from her usual role.

She said: 'It was the first time that I'd done this sort of thing, it was completely new and different but I adapted quite well.

‘It’s been really nice getting to know the other team members.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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