RNLI sets date for closure of St Abbs lifeboat station

Lifeboats have operated out of St Abbs for more than 100 years

St Abbs lifeboat station will close in September, the RNLI has confirmed.

The charity said they would remove the Atlantic 75 (B-Class) lifeboat, which operates out of the Borders village, on 8 September.

Volunteers have mounted a high-profile campaign to save the facility, and they have collected more than 5,000 signatures in an online petition.

They claim the St Abbs base has the right location, the right equipment and the right crew to save lives.

The RNLI announced in May that the station would be closed as part of an "extensive review".

The charity's trustees said an additional inshore lifeboat would be added at nearby Eyemouth.

The Save St Abbs Lifeboat campaign has received support from around the world

In a statement issued by St Abbs Lifeboat Station, volunteers said the announcement of a closing date "changes nothing".

It continued: "We vowed to fight this decision for every single person that uses this much-loved stretch of stunning coastline, and we will do so until the very last possible minute.

"We desperately hope to be allowed to provide that vital service beyond 8th September."

An RNLI spokesman said: "We are fully aware of the strength of feeling in St Abbs and all their supporters.

"However the decision was taken in April and it was taken following five years of research and data."