A VESSEL drifting into a shipping lane was intercepted by the crew of the Largs lifeboat.

Volunteers at Largs RNLI launched their Atlantic 85 lifeboat in heavy rain on Wednesday, July 3, to attend a vessel drifting into the shipping lane.

The incident was reported by a local ferry which was concerned it would pose a danger to other vessels in the area.

It was established by volunteer crew members that the vessel had likely broken adrift from its moorings after they found no one on board.

It was decided the safest option would be to take the vessel under tow to the nearest safe haven at Kip Marina.

HM Coastguard were requested to contact Kip Marina to check they would be able to take the vessel for safekeeping,

The boat was safely towed alongside Largs lifeboat to the safety of Kip Marina where it was handed over into the care of the local coastguard rescue team.

John Griffiths, lifeboat operations manager, said: "We would ask people to ensure their mooring lines and shackle pins are properly secured.

"If you get into difficulty at sea or along the coast, or spot someone else in trouble, always dial 999 and ask for the coastguard."