Lifeboat and coastguard crews were stood down after a four hour search for a missing person.

Portishead Coastguard and RNLI Portishead were tasked to join in the search at 7.15pm on Saturday night (June 1) after reports of a person in the water off the M48 Severn Bridge.

The crews worked alongside Chepstow Coastguard, Sharpness Coastguard, Penarth lifeboats, SARA Lifeboats and rescue helicopters to search the area before being ordered to stand down.

A Portishead Coastguard spokesman said: "A huge extensive search was conducted until all teams stood down at 11.30pm with nothing found. Our thoughts are with the family at this time."

The coastguard were called out earlier on Saturday afternoon to the beach near the open air pool in Portishead after a woman had fallen from her mobility scooter down a 15ft slope. The crew were called at 2.15pm to assist ambulance crews stabilise the casualty.

The woman was placed on a vacuumed stretcher and then a rigid stretcher before being carried to the ambulance. The crew returned to station once the woman was en-route to hospital.