Britain's busiest lifeboat ready to fish out seasonal revellers

The busiest lifeboat station in the country is bracing itself for a boom in call-outs over Christmas and New Year.

The crew of Tower lifeboat station has already attended 364 incidents this year and saved 16 lives. Spokeswoman Laura Kerr said: "Christmas is very busy, New Year's Eve is our busiest. People get excited by extra things like alcohol. When near water, it could be dangerous.

"It's not that the Thames is unsafe, but water is dangerous if people don't treat it with respect. We are here to fish them out."

In one of the most recent rescues, a lifeboat crew saved a man who plunged into the Thames from Westminster Bridge. The 45-year-old fell in after a four-hour stand-off with police negotiators. In another drama, four rowers were pulled from the river after their craft was hit by a launch.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution relies on donations to pay for boats, kit and training. Crewman Alex Maunders said that because call-outs were more frequent at this time of year, the crew had less chance to do other vital jobs such as boat maintenance and general upkeep of the station.