Starring role for Titanic actress

Ms Winslet is a regular visit to the county

The British actress Kate Winslet is to help raise money for a new RNLI lifeboat station in Cornwall.

Construction work on the new lifeboat house next to the existing one at Trevose Head in Padstow is under way.

The RNLI, which has been creating a stir about who would spearhead their £5.5m campaign, said it was delighted with Ms Winslet's starring role.

Ms Winslet and her former husband, Jim Threapleton, used to own a property in the county.

If there had been the right number of lifeboats on Titanic more people would have survived Tamsin Thomas, RNLI

Tamsin Thomas, who is in charge of publicity for the RNLI in Cornwall, said the star's long-lasting association with her first big film role makes her ideal.

She told BBC News: "One of the films that made her famous was Titanic and they key issue which came out of the film was the lack of lifeboats.

"If there had been the right number of lifeboats on Titanic more people would have survived.

"There's a saving lives at sea message which is tied to her inextricably."

There have been more than 16 lifeboats in four boathouses at Padstow since 1827.

Money for a new Tamar-class lifeboat was gifted to the RNLI in the will of Heather Allen.

Ms Allen, a member of the family which found Beefeater gin, lived near Padstow. She died in August in her 80s, leaving £9m to her charitable trust, £2m of which is to buy the boat.

The Tamar class vessel should be in action by next summer, working out of the new boat house.