Flag relay marks coastal watch anniversary

Gosport Submarine Museum was one of the stops on the relay route

A flag relay marking the 30th anniversary of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) is making its way along the south coast of England.

NCI volunteer watchkeepers provide "eyes and ears" on the sea to help support search and rescue efforts.

The specially-commissioned anniversary flag is travelling anti-clockwise to each of the charity's 60 stations including Lyme Bay and Portland Bill on the Dorset coast and Gosport in Hampshire.

Gosport NCI's Richard Suggitt said the volunteers "contribute to saving lives".

The flag is being flown at NCI watch stations along the coast

The relay, covering more than 2,000 miles (3,200km), set off from the NCI Fleetwood station in Lancashire on 3 June.

It is due to end by September at the most northerly station on the east coast in Filey, North Yorkshire.

During its time in Dorset, the electronically-tagged flag travelled from Lyme Regis to Hengistbury Head by various modes of transport including a gig rowing boat, steam train and by horseback before being taken on to the Sandbanks Ferry.

The flag was carried on a steam lorry for part of the Hampshire leg

The Hampshire leg saw it travel from Lee-on-the-Solent NCI on HMS Sultan’s Sentinel Steam Truck to be handed over to Gosport NCI at the town's submarine museum.

After it completes its relay around the coast, the flag will be taken to Trinity House in London for a special commemorative event at the end of September.

More than 2,700 National Coastwatch volunteer watchkeepers maintain a daily visual and radio watch along the coast of England and Wales, looking out for anyone in potential danger and alerting coastguard and lifeboat crews.

Mr Suggitt said: "We do count ourselves as a full member of the search and rescue community.

"We're not very well known but we do contribute to saving lives and safety."