Whitley Bay shipwreck sparks lifeboat rescue false alarm

It is believed the tugboat was wrecked on rocks more than 40 years ago

An old shipwrecked tugboat off the North Tyneside coast sparked a rescue callout.

The Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) was called to near St Mary's Island off Whitley Bay to reports of someone in the water on Monday.

Rescuers said the call was "well-intentioned" and had been sparked by the wreck - dating back at least 40 years - jutting out of the water.

TVLB secretary Peter Lilley said the wreck looked like an aeroplane fin.

"A brigade member was on scene within five minutes of the call and confirmed that the person was in fact that remnants of a shipwreck from many years ago," he said.

"We think it's a tugboat which was wrecked at least 40 years ago and it has been the source of a number of calls over the years.

"We could find no-one in the water in need of assistance, and with no-one reported as overdue or missing, the call was marked down as a false alarm with good intent."

The Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade is a voluntary shore-based coastal rescue service formed in 1864.

When visible the wreck has been mistaken for an aeroplane fin