Four men rescued from thick mud in Poole

Four men were rescued after their boat became trapped in thick mud off the Dorset coast.

Poole RNLI Inshore Lifeboat was called to the Wareham Channel entrance of Poole Harbour at 0030 BST on Saturday.

The group, described by rescuers as caked head-to-foot in sludge, had been travelling back to Salterns from Wareham Quay when they became stuck.

An RNLI spokesman said the conditions they had faced were "treacherous" and were lucky to escape unharmed.

Volunteer crewman Stuart Newcombe said: "These guys were extremely lucky and it could have been a completely different ending to this story.

"Conditions in the harbour were lively with a fresh breeze against the tide, they were fortunate as within an hour hypothermia could have kicked in and there was real concern, especially for the youngest one of the group."