A lifeboat charity has announced that it will be ploughing ahead with plans to replace a Suffolk station's all-weather boat with an inshore vessel - despite Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey describing the move as a 'downgrade'.

The RNLI will be providing an Atlantic-85 inshore boat when Aldeburgh Lifeboat station's current Mersey-class vessel Freddie Cooper reaches the end of its operational life, despite campaigners calling for a Shannon-class boat to be installed instead.

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Dr Coffey had written to charity regulator The Charity Commission to ask what was happening with £2.4million of public donations that were supposedly intended to pay for a new Shannon-class lifeboat.

However, an RNLI spokesman said that money had been left in wills and allocated by the RNLI to fund a future lifeboat and associated equipment at Aldeburgh.

But they said the money had not been left specifically for the Aldeburgh station and was not 'legally restricted' to a particular piece of equipment, such as the Shannon-class boat.

READ MORE: Petition launched for Aldeburgh Lifeboat in Suffolk

The changes have followed a review into the charity's lifeboat provision along the east coast, which will also see the Atlantic-85 inshore boat at Happisburgh station in Norfolk being removed, with the station retaining its D-class inshore boat.

The RNLI spokesman also revealed data showing that only three call-outs per year over the last decade attended by the Aldeburgh station required the use of an all-weather lifeboat.

In total, the station's all-weather boat had been used 83 times out of a total of 167 incidents since 2012, but the spokesperson said the calls needing the all-weather boat could be attended by other stations as they were of a 'non-time critical' nature, usually involving towing.

READ MORE: Suffolk: Therese Coffey 'furious' at RNLI Aldeburgh 'snub'

Amber French, the charity’s area lifesaving manager for both stations, said: "The Mersey-class, all-weather lifeboat at Aldeburgh will soon reach the end of its operational service.

"Meanwhile, Happisburgh lifeboat station is facing severe challenges caused by worsening coastal erosion which has left its volunteers facing difficulties to safely launch their lifeboats. This issue has been compounded by a shortage of qualified crew.

"So the RNLI undertook a joint lifesaving effect review with our volunteers, staff and wider lifeboat station community in both areas.

READ MORE: Suffolk: RNLI reviewing Aldeburgh Lifeboat provision

"We are very grateful for their insight and cooperation, which helped us reach the decisions on the correct lifeboat configuration for this stretch of water.

"As sea use around the coast changes, we must ensure that we have the most appropriate lifeboats in place which will save the greatest number of lives in the most effective way."