Volunteer lifeboat crews in Lowestoft and Southwold were kept busy in 2015, according to figures released by the RNLI.

Lowestoft Lifeboat's volunteer crew launched 24 times and rescued 36 last year, including one arduously long tow of a stranded Wind Farm Support Vessel, which got into trouble in a 'lumpy' sea 31 miles due east of Lowestoft.

A particular busy spell saw the Lowestoft RNLI crew respond to five calls in three days – including a double callout when two boats called for help one after the other.

Southwold launched their inshore B-class (Atlantic) lifeboat seven times in 2015.

Last year in Suffolk, the collective crew from the three lifeboat stations on the Suffolk coast at Lowestoft, Southwold and Aldeburgh, launched 49 times to attend a wide range of incidents including commercial vessels in trouble, adrift fishermen, struggling swimmers and leisure boaters in difficulty.

Overall, RNLI lifeboat volunteers at the three crews in Suffolk rescued 57 people.

Paul Barker, RNLI community incident reduction manager in the east, said: 'Once again our volunteer lifeboat crews have had a busy 12 months working hard to serve their local communities. They willingly down tools and drop everything to respond to an emergency call for help day or night, come rain or shine.

'I would like to thank all of our volunteers for their tireless hard work and dedication throughout the past 12 months. Without all of our supporters, fundraisers, crews and education teams our lifesaving service would not operate.'