A Monmouth man is leading a United Nations rescue team in hurricane-hit Japan.

Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, a civil-military officer for the Pacific, is stationed in Bangkok with the UN.

He made his way to Japan's east coast at the weekend, where earthquake and tsunami have devastated much of the coast and low-lying inland area.

Sebastian attended Our Lady and St Michael's school in Abergavenny as a boy and returns to Tregaer near Monrnouth on leave every year.

He joined the Army, where he served for nine years with the Life Guards Regiment, stationed in Ireland, Germany and Windsor and fought in the Gulf War.

On leaving the Army he joined the UN and was stationed in Kosovo for three years, before moving for a year to New York and on to Bangkok where he has been for a further four years.

He lectures to governments and military throughout Asia on preparation for disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis and is well acquainted with the countries bordering the Pacific.