Sea Palling: Swimmers aided by kayakers in area where lifeboat paused

Complaints about the independent lifeboat service mean its crews cannot attend HM Coastguard call-outs

Kayakers helped pull three sea swimmers back to the shore in an area where a lifeboat service has been paused over health and safety complaints.

Sea Palling independent lifeboat in Norfolk was put on hold on 9 June by HM Coastguard pending an investigation.

HM Coastguard said it was working with the Sea Palling rescue team "to get the group back to full service as soon as possible".

The coastguard and the RNLI confirmed the incident occurred on Saturday.

First reported by the Eastern Daily Press, HM Coastguard received reports of the men in difficulty at about 15:00 BST and tasked the Bacton Coastguard Rescue team and the Sea Palling RNLI beach lifeguards to the scene.

The RNLI said a lifeguard sent to attend arrived to find three kayakers in the process of aiding the swimmers back to the shore.

They were given a health check and found not to require any medical treatment.

The independent lifeboat service said it would still send out if needed

Earlier this month, 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 at the time the service should have been allowed to operate while an investigation was undertaken.

"We've basically been assumed guilty before we even know what the problem is," he previously told the BBC.

The HM Coastguard inspection was due to be carried out towards the end of this month.