For 150 years Margate lifeboat station has overseen the rescue of hundreds of people in danger off the town's coast.

On Sunday (August 29) a day of celebration marking the anniversary will take place with activities around the harbour and the piazza area next to the old town.

The Red Arrows display team will fly-past to honour the town's RNLI, and the Kent Air Ambulance is expected to make an appearance too.

Other highlights include Margate's two lifeboats and the Ramsgate lifeboat carrying out a rescue display in the harbour at 3pm (call-outs permitting); live music from 1-3pm from the KD Jazz and Dance Orchestra, The Bodegas, The Blox, Westcoast Soulstars and Physical Graffiti with a DJ playing in between the bands.

Stalls manned by RNLI Sea Safety, HM Coastguard, Kent Police, and Kent Fire and Rescue will be there until 5pm, with the RNLI souvenirs available, plus other craft stalls.

Organisers hope the restored historic lifeboat William & Kate Johnston will be on display either in the harbour or off the main sands beach.

Caribbean night in aid of the RNLI is at the Hussar pub at Westbrook from 4pm and includes food, a basketball shoot-out, coconut shy, limbo dancing and a surfboard simulator. From 8pm until midnight a band will be playing.

Meanwhile, the Westcoast Bar in King Street has also invited people to continue the party later in the evening.

Later in the year the RNLI will present the station with a framed 150 anniversary scroll.

Paul Hodson, lifeboat operations manager at Margate, said: "This is an important year for the station as we commemorate the commitment and sacrifice of generations of volunteer lifeboat crews and our supporters who have maintained the traditions of the lifeboat service over the last 150 years.

"When we look at the pictures and artefacts chronicling our station history, we all feel extremely proud and privileged to be involved in maintaining what is an important part of the local community."

Two lifeboats are stationed at Margate at the moment -- the Mersey class all-weather lifeboat Leonard Kent and the IB1 class inshore lifeboat Tigger Three.

Currently there are 31 volunteer crew members, plus a full-time mechanic, who make up the operational team at the station. The coxswain is Trevor Lamb, who is a full-time commercial fisherman, and the lifeboat operations manager is Paul Hodson.

Further information, together with more detail of the station's history, can be found at www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/east/stations/MargateKent