Harry Potter star Timothy Spall wasn't keen to head straight back into open seas after his rescue by a lifeboat crew.

A spokesman for the four times BAFTA-nominated actor said he had been spending a few days at Chatham marina before continuing his voyage around Britain, which is being filmed for a TV series.

But when we called on him at the weekend, he declined to talk about his mishap when the RNLI had to help out after the Princess Matilda became lost on the Medway.

Staff at the marina, who revealed he was a regular visitor, said he wished to be left alone.

The actor, who shot to fame as the hapless Brummie Barry in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, is filming for a BBC series called Back At Sea.

Spall and his crew called for help from the Sheerness RNLI lifeboat crew, who found his 55ft Dutch barge just off Stangate Creek.

The lifeboat found the barge, with Spall and four crew members.

They then escorted the barge to safety in Sheerness, where it was moored at about 10.55pm.

Spall, who plays Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter films, has said he taught himself to sail using children's books.