COASTGUARDS are warning people not to jump in to Weymouth harbour after reports of ‘tombstoning’ yesterday.

Officers were alerted yesterday afternoon to a group of men jumping in.

Weymouth harbour patrol was launched to talk to the group, who were unaware they had committed an offence.

Tombstoning is a high-risk activity which involves jumping in to water from a height.

A coastguard spokesman said: “Portland Coastguard would like to remind the public that not only is it an offence to enter the water in Weymouth Harbour under a Byelaw dating back to 1887, but it is also very dangerous to jump into the unknown.

“What was a deep pool at lunchtime might be a shallow puddle due to tidal conditions some hours later, and not forgetting what other hazards and objects might be under the surface.

“In the past six years there have been 16 deaths and 50 serious injuries around the UK due to tombstoning.”

Elsewhere coastguard officers had a busy day assisting a number of vessels around the coast.

At around noon, a dive rib with three people aboard suffered engine problems near to the East Ship Channel in Portland harbour. A passing vessel towed it to Ferrybridge.

At around 4.40pm a fishing vessel with four aboard reported engine failure in the Rive Axe, Seaton, Devon. Weymouth lifeboat was tasked to assist and towed the vessel in the Weymouth harbour where it was met by coastguards.