Volunteer lifeboat crews, police and the coastguard launched a mass search for a boat following a Mayday call from a ship.

The Dover Lifeboat team were alerted to the emergency call at 12.20am today and the crews made their way to Folkestone where the call was made from.

The Folkestone Coastguard and Kent Police were also tasked with finding the boat while Dover's RNLI crews used search lights and night vision equipment.

Despite the emergency call and a search lasting longer than two hours, nothing was found.

The lifeboat, which had eight volunteer members onboard, returned to Dover at around 3.30am where it refuelled.