Coastguard pauses Sea Palling lifeboat service call-outs over complaints

A complaint to the coastguard about the lifeboat service has meant it cannot attend HM Coastguard call-outs

A lifeboat service will not be called out to emergencies by the Coastguard following health and safety complaints.

Sea Palling independent lifeboat based in Norfolk said it was notified of the Coastguard's decision on Friday.

HM Coastguard said it had received a number of complaints about the Sea Palling service.

The Norfolk rescue service said it would still put-out if asked to do so by local lifeguards or the RNLI service.

In a statement a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said: "A number of complaints have been received by HM Coastguard about the Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat station.

"A decision was made to stand down the service while those complaints are looked into but it neither implies or imputes wrongdoing."

Mark Skerritt, Sea Palling lifeboat chairman, said the service should have been allowed to operate for the coastguard while an investigation was under taken

Mark Skerritt, Sea Palling lifeboat chairman, said the station would now have to be inspected before any services could resume.

"All our services are totally off-service to any paging from the coastguard," he said.

Mr Skerritt added he had been in touch with the National Independent Lifeboat Association (NILA) which told him that as an independent lifeboat service they "could self-launch, if our services were needed."

Sea Palling lifeboat rescue has three vessels which would be covered by its insurance to attend a rescue.

Mr Skerritt said the service had been left in a "frustrating" position.

"We don't know if we have to rectify anything, we don't know what the problem is," he said.

"We've basically been assumed guilty before we even know what the problem is."

He added they should have been kept on whilst any investigation was carried out.

NILA said it would "be assisting in any way we can to get this service back operational and we will work with HM Coastguard which is the tasking authority."

The HM Coastguard inspection is expected to be carried out towards the end of the month.