The reported sighting of a red flare sparked an emergency call out in the early hours.

Kimmeridge Coastguard was called to the reported flare - which was seen somewhere around the entrance to the River Frome in the Wareham area - at 2.48am this morning.

A coastguard spokesman said that weather conditions were terrible. They were met with heavy rain and saturated ground.

Poole Coastguard Team, along with Poole Lifeboat and Poole Inshore Lifeboat, came to aid the search along the banks of the River Frome all the way from Wareham town centre to the Ridge Wharf Marina and Swineham Point.

The lifeboats searched around parts of the harbour and along the River Piddle.

After a 3.5 hour search, nothing was found.