A YACHT was forced to return to Weymouth after its navigation lights stopped working.

The incident happened yesterday morning, when the yacht, called Diamonds are Forever, was on a passage from Yarmouth to Dartmouth and was passing south of Portland Bill.

The crew headed to Weymouth to repair their lights and also found an ingress of sea water. They eventually repaired the boat and arrived safely in Brixham later that day.

Just after 9am, a 26-foot sailing vessel with two people on board broke down in rough seas.

Called Mallaig, Portland Coastguards tasked Exmouth RNLI to go and rescue the boat, which was off Sidmouth.

It was towed backed to a secure berth in Exmouth Marina.

At 11.06pm, Southbourne Coastguard Officers were tasked by Portland Coastguards to a report of a drifting vessel which had run aground at Christchurch Harbour.

Coastguards searched the area but conditions were very bad in heavy rain and poor visibility, but nothing untoward was found and the search was called off.