Crews at Harwich RNLI lifeboat station were called to reports of a two metre inflatable dinghy drifting off the Felixstowe coast.

The Harwich Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat received a call from the UK Coastguard just before 2.50pm yesterday (Thursday, January 5).

Crews arrived to find that the two metre dinghy had already been brought ashore by a member of the public after it was blown close to the shore.

After speaking with the UK Coastguard, it was deemed no further action was required by the lifeboat crew as the dinghy was most likely lost locally in recent strong winds.

Ian Hampton, who was part of the rescue, said: "While it was a relatively straightforward service, it was good to get my first one under my belt, the sea conditions made it a bit more exciting than my usual pastimes of golf and cycling.

"Living in Harwich and working as a stevedore team leader at the Port of Felixstowe you really can’t ever escape the sea, which is one of the main reasons I chose to volunteer.

"Learning new skills and working as a team to save lives at sea is an exciting prospect."