RNLI makes waves to rescue county lifeboat station

Sheringham's lifeboat in north Norfolk has been temporarily operating from Cromer due to safety fears at its station

The RNLI said steps were being put in place to save one of its lifeboat stations after it was closed due to serious safety concerns.

Sheringham's station in Norfolk was shut in January after a survey indicated the building was at the end of its lifespan and the cliff behind it unstable.

The charity said it planned to "continue a lifesaving service from the current Sheringham lifeboat station by completing the remedial works required to make the building safe for its volunteers to operate".

It said it would press ahead with scoping out the works, while working with North Norfolk District Council in terms of planning matters and extension of its lease.

A full cost or start date for the works has yet to be finalised.

In the meantime, the lifeboat crew will continue operating its boat from nearby Cromer following a successful trial.

Peter Sampson, Sheringham RNLI lifeboat management chair, said: "We are pleased a decision has been reached and there is a commitment to repairing the lifeboat station at Sheringham.

"It's been a frustrating time for us, but this is positive news. We are looking forward to resuming operations from Sheringham and getting back to what we do best - saving lives at sea."

At the time of the closure, Anna Heslop, RNLI regional operations lead for North and East, said the decision to close was made due to the building backing on to steep land which "may be at risk of sliding forward".

She said the risk to safety "was deemed too high to mitigate and manage by the monitoring system alone" and that further work would need to be done to fully understand the condition of the building.

At the time of the closure, the RNLI said there was a risk of the cliffs behind the building "sliding forward"

George Pickford, RNLI interim head of region, said: "We are grateful for the patience shown by our volunteers and the community as we reviewed the different options for the future of Sheringham RNLI and came to this decision.

"As a charity we must carefully consider how we use our donors' money.

"This decision will ensure the RNLI provides a sustainable lifesaving service across this stretch of coastline and will support our volunteers' desire to save lives at sea."