A former warship being converted into a home found itself at the centre of two emergency rescues this weekend.

The 53-year-old wooden former Royal Navy inshore minesweeper, Portisham , encountered difficulties both at sea and in port.

She first contacted coastguards on Saturday morning to say that she was sinking and had suffered engine failure in the Celtic Deep.

The 100 tonne, 106 foot vessel had two crew on board and was on passage from Weymouth to Dublin.

As Angle all weather lifeboat was heading to the aid of the stricken vessel, the skipper contacted coastguards to say that she also had a fire on board, but that it was under control.

The coastal tanker Steersman stood by the vessel until the arrival of the lifeboat.

An RAF Sea King rescue helicopter was tasked to the incident and put a salvage pump on board Portisham to expel sea water. Angle lifeboat's volunteer crew put a second pump on board.

Once the Portisham was in a stable condition, she was taken in tow by the lifeboat to the Port of Pembroke at Pembroke Dock.

The lifeboat returned to her station at 7.15pm, after an 80-mile call-out lasting nearly 11 hours.

Less than 12 hours later Portisham contacted the emergency services to say that she had a fire on board.

Four fire appliances, two from Milford haven and two from Pembroke Dock were tasked to the fire in Port of Pembroke, as well as the fire boat from Milford haven.

The fire had taken hold in wood between the main deck and the wheel house of the vessel. It is believed that the timber was being used to convert the vessel into a house boat.

A thermal imaging camera was used to check that the fire had been completely extinguished. A spokesman for the fire service said that there were several "hot spots" on the vessel.

Paramedics treated one casualty at the scene.

The vessel is said to have been quite badly damaged in both incidents, coastguards said that she would remain in Port of Pembroke for some time.