Ramsgate inshore lifeboat was launched on Sunday night to assist a small local potting boat with a flat battery off the town’s coast.

The crew went out to the vessel shortly after 10pm with a spare battery, which the craft’s skipper fitted, and he was then able to start his engine and carry on under his own power whilst the lifeboat returned to station.

Last Thursday, the main lifeboat and the inshore craft searched for a swimmer reported missing off the town’s main sands at around 4pm. Both boats along with several other vessels in the area carried out an extensive search until the Coastguard called the search off as the swimmer had come ashore in a different spot to where he went in and had walked back to his car unaware of the search going on.