A fisherman has been rescued after being stranded overnight in a dinghy.

Margate's RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched today (February 10) to rescue a lone sports fisherman.

The angler had spent the night at sea and became stranded on rocks off Margate.

His 14ft angling dinghy was seen to be experiencing difficulties on the rocks in front of the lifeboat station by a member of the lifeboat’s crew.

The lifeboat was launched to tow him into Margate harbour.

The fisherman was showing signs of hypothermia and was subsequently handed over to ambulance crews.

He had obtained the boat the previous day and, along with another man, had set out for Herne Bay on Tuesday evening.

The second person is understood to have left the boat at Westgate-on-Sea during the evening and after the boat’s outboard engine experienced problems, the remaining occupant spent the night both drifting and trying to anchor off the north Kent coast.

He was spotted the following morning some 15 hours after setting out.