A Dutch yacht was rescued at sea by a Lowestoft lifeboat crew after getting into difficulties.

The crew of five on the yacht had to call for help when a rope caught around the vessel's propeller while heading to the Suffolk town on Friday morning.

Lowestoft RNLI coxswain John Fox said: "We were called at 9.07am by UK Coastguard to assess the yacht's situation.

"We launched our RNLI lifeboat Patsy Knight and found the vessel approximately three quarters of a mile from Lowestoft pier heads at the end of the Stanford Channel.

"The crew of the 20-metre yacht told us they had sailed from Den Helder in the Netherlands overnight, heading for Lowestoft, but when they were off Kessingland a rope had become wrapped around the vessel's propeller, causing engine failure.

"They were able to take their sails down and we decided that undertaking a tow was necessary and the safest way to assist the yacht.

"In a calm sea we brought the yacht safely into the harbour, arriving at 10am."