THE wife of a coastguard who was involved in an operation to retrieve a £20 toy plane has spoken out against criticism of the recovery.

Critics branded the operation, involving two police officers, 12 coastguards and a four-man lifeboat crew called to cliffs in Saltburn, a waste of public money.

But Susan Waugh, 37, wife of Skinningrove Coastguard's deputy station officer Paul Waugh, defended the operation and said that coastguards involved in the operation had been deeply offended by comments made by critics.

John Robinson, a Conservative member for Saltburn on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, had said he believed the operation was a waste of public money and was concerned that there could have been a real emergency at the same time on that part of the coast.

He said he had the highest regard for the coastguard and did not want to get involved in an argument with them but felt 18 people being used was excessive.

Mrs Waugh said: "I'm really fuming about this. It really hurt my feelings that such a joke was made out of it in the national press.

"The reason the lads were told to go on the job was in case someone risked their lives by trying to retrieve the plane.

"The critics should be thanking God that it wasn't a small child that they were rescuing, who could have tried to get it."

Mrs Waugh said she and her children were affected by her husband's job as a coastguard, which means he often has to miss birthday parties, wedding anniversary celebrations, Christmas and New Year.

"In 1999 Paul was called out in terrible weather on Christmas Eve to rescue three anglers from Boulby cliff and he and his colleagues got the Wreck Shield Award for their bravery," she said. "These people are there to save lives and don't deserve to be criticised."