Rosie Swale Pope in Downing St 'save coastguard' visit

Protesters at Milford Haven in February put their views to coastguard service head Sir Alan Massey

Round-the-world sailor Rosie Swale Pope is among those delivering a petition at Downing Street to protest at plans to close Milford Haven coastguard station.

The UK government is reviewing proposals to close more than half of coastguard centres, and cut 24-hour rescue stations from 18 to three.

Under original plans, Milford Haven and Holyhead stations were to close and Swansea would become part-time.

Ministers insist safety will not be compromised.

The petition has 19,000 signatures.

Opponents of the proposed closures say it would risk the lives of those using the coastline and inshore waters and lead to a loss of local knowledge in those coordinating rescues.

The proposals have seen protests at both Milford Haven and Holyhead.

Pembrokshire-based Ms Swale Pope, 64, made the first rounding of Cape Horn by catamaran when she sailed round the world with her first husband and their daughter in 1971.

She became the fourth woman to sail alone to America in a small boat from England when she made a transatlantic crossing in a 17-foot (5m) cutter in 1983.

Ahead of the presentation she said: "It's 100% wrong to limit the coastguard service in the guise of improving it. Anybody who knows anything about the sea knows this.

"It's a cost-cutting exercise. How is anybody in Aberdeen or Southampton going to know about some Welsh cove or the Welsh language? They cannot do it well enough from far afield.

"I feel very strongly about this. It's going to cost lives and have a devastating impact sooner or later on our natural environment."

Save Milford Haven Coastguard Campaign Group Dennis O'Connor welcomed Ms Swale Pope's support.

He said: "Her extraordinary sailing exploits mean that she has a very acute understanding for the need to retain coastguard services in the UK."

UK Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is reviewing the plans and will publish proposals later in the summer.

But he has insisted the original proposals did not compromise safety and included increased resources for frontline rescue services.

He said the reform would improve IT and create better career opportunities for staff.