Three boats have had to be rescued after getting into trouble following sudden squalls off the Norfolk coast.

The first to need help was Sea Mist whose skipper Richard Comrie radioed for help when one of his two engines overheated and had to be shut down. This made the boat difficult to manoeuvre as he tried to cross the bar into Wells Harbour.

The 38ft Colvic cabin cruiser, which left Hull at just after 7am this morning (Thursday, July 20), was nearing Wells Harbour this afternoon when it got into trouble.

Mr Comrie, who was on board with his wife Christine, said: 'The conditions deteriorated rapidly when we were between 10 and 15 miles off Wells.

'The wind got up and it became very squally with rough seas.'

He added: 'The boat doesn't handle well on just one engine, so when it became rough, I needed to radio for help from the RNLI to come and tow me in.'

The couple nearly lost their dinghy, which was strapped to the stern.

Mrs Comrie said, 'The sea was washing over the boat and the dinghy just disappeared. Luckily, it stayed attached to the boat.'

The all-weather lifeboat Doris M Mann of Ampthill went to her rescue and towed the boat on to the pontoon on the Quay.

The lifeboat then went to sea again after a call from an elderly couple on 65ft barge Sabena H.

They were caught in heavy seas off Salthouses and were making little progress in the wind. The lifeboat towed them into Wells.

Then a third vessel, this time the 22ft yacht Mira Monte suffered engine failure about 10 miles north of Wells and 10 miles east of Skegness.

Those on board managed to raise the alarm on a mobile before it stopped working.

The Skegness lifeboat has gone to rescue the boat and will link up with the Wells lifeboat when it arrives at the stricken boat.