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North Manchester High School for Girls has been recommended for a commendation by the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire James Cropper for allowing tutor Mike Willemsen leave to help in army operations.

The geography teacher is a member of the volunteer Territorial Army which supports the regular army in times of crisis.

Sgt Willemsen gave up his Easter holiday to help clear the backlog of animal carcasses in Cumbria built up during the Ministry of Agriculture culling programme intended to prevent the spread of foot and mouth.

The school extended his Easter leave to enable him to complete his work before returning to the chalkboard for the new term.

Sgt Willemsen, who lives in Salford but is attached to a Liverpool squad where he provides medical support, admits the task was not a pleasant one.

"It was pretty gruesome. The smell was sickening but it was a job that had to be done and I was glad to be able to relieve some of the regular army and grateful to my school for letting me go," he said.

Lord Lieutenant Cropper, who is vice-president of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for the North West of England, applauded Sgt Willemsen and his school for their contribution.

In a letter to the school governing body, he said: "I often have the pleasure of presenting certificates from the Secretary of State to employers who support the volunteer reserves of which the TA is the largest part.

"The crisis in Cumbria is acute and I am very grateful to you for releasing Sgt Willemsen to help - it really does show how well the community can respond in a crisis and how employers can rise to the challenge even in difficult circumstances."