Lifeboat called out to '˜loud bang' at sea

Littlehampton RNLI was sent out to reports of a broken-down boat on Thursday before 11am. A member of the public at South Strand, East Preston, reported a loud bang and smoke coming from a leisure vessel off the Littlehampton coast.

The lifeboat undertook a wider search of the area, extending to a quarter of a mile south of Worthing pier and towards the weather station two and a half miles out at sea.

At just before 12.40pm, the UK Coastguard contacted the lifeboat and it was decided that as no casualty vessel had been located the search should be terminated.

The lifeboat was stood down and returned to the lifeboat station where it was refuelled and made ready for service.