A sailor stranded on a broken down motorboat was saved by the Sheerness lifeboat crew.

The 20-foot boat was in difficulties in the River Medway after its main engine failed because of contaminated fuel.

A second emergency engine was not powerful enough to get the craft ashore because of the southerly force six wind.

The all-weather lifeboat crew was launched on Thursday at 1.50pm from Sheerness Docks and found the boat drifting in the Beeness Jetty area.

It was towed to Queenborough Harbour where the man was landed safely at the all-tide landing.

RNLI spokesman Vic Booth said: "The small craft had suffered main engine failure believed due to contaminated fuel and a secondary engine had not been powerful enough to propel the craft in the tidal and weather conditions at the time."

The rescue mission was over by 3pm.