A LIFEBOAT was launched from North Berwick yesterday to assist three people on an amateur fishing boat with engine failure.

A crew of four launched the RNLI lifeboat at 15:45 and located the vessel about half a mile southwest of Bass Rock at 4.08pm.

A member of crew then boarded the vessel and set up a tow and the crew towed the vessel safely back to North Berwick.

Lifeboat press officer at North Berwick, Rhona Meikle said: “There were three people on board the amateur fishing boat. They had been out all day and had tried to start the engine and realised it had no power, so they immediately phoned the coastguard which is the correct thing to do.

“This was a pretty straightforward callout and the boat was towed back to North Berwick by 5.05pm.”

Members of North Berwick Coastguard Rescue Team and Dunbar Coastguard were in attendance.

RNLI volunteers remain on duty 24/7 throughout the festive period, if you see someone in difficulty at sea or along the coastline call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.