A family were enjoying an evening boat trip when they had to be rescued.

Volunteers at the Sheerness RNLI were called at 6.53pm to help a father and three children yesterday after their boat had broken down.

The rigid hull inflatable boat had run aground in the Swale, half a mile away from the all tide landing in Queenborough.

They were rescued by the crew on the inshore lifeboat at 7pm.

The father and children, who were aged four, five and 11, were all wearing life jackets when they were taken to Queenborough to be checked over by paramedics.

An ambulance spokesman said: “We were called at 7.05pm to the all tide landing by the coastguard.

"One ambulance crew met them there but were not taken to hospital."

The lifeboat returned to the station at 8.34pm.