PORTISHEAD’S lifeboat crew was called on out Monday afternoon to reports of a vessel which had suffered engine failure.

The 21ft cabin cruiser had two people on board when it got into difficulty about one mile out from the lifeboat slipway at Sugar Loaf Beach and had to be towed into Portishead’s marina.

This was the 320th service launch for the Portishead and Bristol Lifeboat Trust since it set up in 1995 and the 400th person it has assisted.