A RESCUE operation was launched after a 40m boat grounded at the entrance to a Northumberland harbour.

Two lifeboats from Amble were dispatched after the Dutch ship ran into difficulties on Sunday night.

The crew of the 100-year-old clipper De Tukker miscalculated the tide and tried to enter Amble harbour at low tide, around 7pm. It immediately came to rest on the sandbank at the harbour entrance.

HM Coastguard was informed and requested Amble RNLI send its two boats.

The volunteer crew members were paged at 7.05pm and five minutes later launched the all-weather boat The Four Boys and the fast-response inshore boat Mildred Holcroft.

Due to the size of the vessel, which was creating a significant obstacle, and the rising wind which would create a swell, it was decided to tow De Tukker off the sandbank and out to deeper water until the tide had risen and it could enter the harbour safely. The lifeboat was used to pass a tow rope across to De Tukker from The Four Boys.

Crews had to be mindful of the proximity of the boat to the north wall of the harbour. The lifeboat then pulled De Tukker around in an arc until it was correctly placed to be removed from the sandbank.

Once this was achieved and it was confirmed that there was no water intake, the boat was guided out to deeper water and advised not to attempt the harbour entrance until at least 9.30pm.

RNLI coxswain John Connell said: “This was a large and heavy vessel and we were conscious of the rising gale forecast from the south east which would have made things difficult later so the safest option was to take her out of potential danger.”