Lifeboat crews were sent to the rescue after a fishing boat got into trouble near Portland Harbour.

The Weymouth RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched at 5.25pm yesterday after a fisherman got into trouble and called the coastguard for assistance.

The fisherman was alone on a 21ft fishing boat in Balaclava Bay near to Portland Harbour when the boat's propeller became tangled in the ropes of a pot buoy and was unable to move.

Due to strong winds the boast was being blown towards the shore and and was not far off of the rocks.

In an attempt to stop the boat being forced ashore, the fisherman had deployed his anchor.

Once on scene, the lifeboat crew passed a line to the man who was able to pull in his anchor and cut the line that was tangled in the propeller.

RNLI volunteer helm Nick Newman said: "The fisherman was unlucky to have caught a pot buoy in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"However he was an experienced fisherman with a well equipped boat and was able to deploy an anchor and had the means to call for help, which all helped to save him and his boat."

The lifeboat then towed the fishing boat to Castletown in Portland, arriving at 6.10pm.