Eight people were rescued after two boats got stuck on mud in the River Alde this afternoon.

The Aldeburgh inshore lifeboat ‘Christine’ was launched at 4.28pm after a request from Humber Coastguard.

Two luggers, with four people on board each, had become stranded on the mud.

RNLI crew members rescued four people directly and took them to Iken.

The second lugger was unaccessible due to its position on the mud, so a pontoon from the Suffolk Fire Service’s water rescue team was used to ferry the remaining four people to the lifeboat, before they were also transported to Iken.

An ambulance crew checked the casualties over.

The lifeboat was back on station at 7.30pm.