Hope for confiscated rescue boat

The Coastguard boat crew launched despite safety concerns

A coastguard boat locked up over health and safety concerns could be back in service this afternoon, said the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The boat had been removed from service in June after the crew carried out unsupervised repairs.

The vessel, based at Hope Cove in South Devon, was then confiscated last week after the crew ignored an order not to use it to help a swimmer in trouble.

The MCA said the crew could have the boat back if it passed the checks.

The Hope Cove volunteer crew had used the boat to try and save a 13-year-old girl who was trapped on a ledge just off the beach after being swept away on 12 August.

The three of them had been told by the MCA not to launch because the boat's hull had failed a safety check in June.

The crew launched anyway, although the girl was eventually rescued by a member of the public.

'Required standards'

The boat was then taken away to Kingsbridge by the MCA and the crew was told it could face disciplinary action.

More than 600 Hope Cove residents signed a petition demanding the release of the boat amid fears that local safety was compromised while it was out of action.

A spokesman for the MCA said the boat was one of their general purpose boats and was not one of their "front line units".

He said repairs to the vessel carried out by the crew were not adequately supervised so it was withdrawn from service to ensure the repairs met the "required standards".