PEMBROKESHIRE County Council has come to the rescue of Tenby RNLI.

The town's inshore lifeboat crew recently found themselves without a home for their craft after a rock fall above their station.

The fall above the building by the Mayor's Slip in the harbour meant that access was restricted due to safety issues. But the county council threw the RNLI a lifeline when they offered the use of a unit in Tenby's South Beach car park.

Normally used by the RNLI lifeguards during the summer season, the unit will now be Tenby's temporary inshore lifeboat house until the other building is safe to use.

It now houses not only the inshore craft, but all necessary kit, including dry suits, medical equipment and other items for carrying out rescues. It also features the luxury of toilets and a shower - facilities which are absent in the permanent inshore building. The tractor, which is used for launching and recovery, is stored in a container next to the unit.

Work is currently ongoing to stabilise the cliff above the inshore lifeboat station, but there is no estimate on when this will be completed. It is envisaged that the inshore craft will remain at the South Beach for at least a couple of months.

Said Tenby lifeboat coxswain Phil John: "We are extremely grateful to Pembrokeshire County Council for offering the use of this unit. "It means that the inshore lifeboat is still available 24 hours a day should it be required, and the ease of access and close proximity to the beach means our launch times will also be unaffected by the move away from the harbour."