A former Spittal resident was on the frontline in attempts to cap the recent catastrophic oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

In April the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, killing 11 workers and resulting in around 185million gallons of crude oil being pumped into the water off the American coast.

BP needed the best minds from across the world to come up with a solution to stem the flow, calling on Peter Richards and his offshore experience, for help.

Peter, aged 50, who is a father of three, now lives in Bowden, Canada, and has worked with BP for 27 years.

He attended Spittal School and was headboy during Haverfordwest Grammar’s first year as a comprehensive before studying chemical engineering at Imperial College, London.

Peter, whose wife Sian is from Wiston, told his local newspaper the Innisfail Province: “It was quite an experience. I wanted to go and help. It was very intense and we were working 24 hours a day since the incident happened.”

He was operation manager for one of the receiving vessels which BP used to lessen the leak by pumping leaking oil on to tankers from pipes hooked up to the destroyed well.

“There have been other well blow outs but this one was unique because of how deep it was and that it was in US waters,” he added.

His mother, Patty Richards, who still lives in Spittal, said she was very proud of her son’s work.

“That’s what he always wanted to do.

“The science master took them down to Milford and that triggered it off.

“I was in Canada in July and thought I wouldn’t get to see him, but they sorted the cap and he came home,” said Mrs Richards.