A training session turned into a real-life rescue for coastguards in Falmouth last night.

The team were called to the Prince of Wales Pier just after 7.20pm, where a sailing boat was crashing into a building and two other smaller boats in the water.

A coastguard spokesperson said: "As we were unsure if there were any occupants on the yacht, the vessel was made safe and two coastguard rescue officers boarded the vessel and checked for signs of occupancy."

Once happy that there was no one in danger, and the owner had been contacted via the Falmouth coastguard operations centre and the harbour office, the coastguards waited for the appointed salvage company to arrive, to pass the yacht into their care before returning to their station.