Busy year for lifeboat crews

Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat Station launched 55 times in the year, saving one life and rescuing 57 people.

In total, crews from the 17 lifeboat stations along the coast of Sussex and Kent, including Littlehampton, launched on 869 rescue missions last year, to a wide range of incidents, including distressed fishermen.

The busiest lifeboat station in the region was Eastbourne, launching 139 times and rescuing 116 people.

Regional operations manager Peter Dawes praised the legions of volunteers who go to sea to save the lives of others, and the thousands who donate the necessary funds.