Padstow lifeboat officially named

Tamar-class lifeboats have self-righting capability

A new £2.5m lifeboat has been officially named in Cornwall.

The Tamar-class vessel for Padstow was named in the harbour and a plaque was unveiled to mark the opening of the new lifeboat house at Trevose Head.

The vessel, the Spirit of Padstow, has been bought from a legacy bequeathed by the late gin heiress Heather Allen.

The 31.5 tonne, 52ft (16m) long vessel has a crew of up to seven people, a top speed of up to 25 knots (28.8mph), and onboard computers to assist in rescues.

'Long wait'

Miss Allen, known as Mickie, and a member of the family which founded the Beefeater gin company, lived near Padstow.

She died in August 2005 in her 80s, leaving £9m to a charitable trust, £2.5m of which bought the boat.

The town's former lifeboat, the Tyne-class James Burrough, was also paid for by Miss Allen.

The total cost of buying the new boat and building the new lifeboat house and slipway at Trevose Head, one of Cornwall's oldest lifeboat stations, is about £5.5m.

RNLI divisional inspector Simon Pryce said the naming ceremony was a day to remember for the whole community.

He said: "It's been a long wait for Padstow, and many months have been spent building the boathouse and fitting out the new lifeboat, but all that has reached a successful climax."

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

The Trevose Head station ensures cover along a 38-mile (61-km) stretch of coastline.