A yacht with six people on board stranded in the Channel had to be rescued by the lifeboat.

The 10m vessel ran into mechanical problems with its steering at around 1.30pm yesterday one mile east of Dungeness lifeboat station.

The Morrell lifeboat was soon launched after the crew was paged by the coastguard.

A local fishing boat was giving help to the yacht, which was en route between Eastbourne and Ramsgate, before lifeboat crews arrived.

It had set up a towline and was making sure the boat did not drift.

Coxswain Stuart Adams, in command of The Morrell, decided to put a crew member on board and established a tow.

They escorted the yacht to Dover harbour and berthed on a mooring there.

The lifeboat was ready for service again at 8.15pm.