A fishing boat was towed to safety after its owner got into difficulty on the mudflats at Brean.

The Brean beach warden raised the alarm by contacting Coastguards after he spotted the incident unfolding.

Burnham-based charity BARB was alerted and used its tractor to pull the stranded boat and trailer from the mud a quarter of a mile from the beach.

Boat owner John Biggerton said: "Unfortunately the back of my boat trailer sank into the mud as we were preparing to launch for a sailing trip round to the River Brue.

"With the tide coming in quite quickly, we needed to get the boat and trailer out of the mud as soon as possible, so I was grateful for BARB's help."

Mr Biggerton made a donation to BARB to cover the charity's costs of attending the incident.

Burnham Area Rescue Boat is a 16-year-old registered charity that has helped and rescued more than 200 people.

The organisation is manned entirely by volunteers and operates two rescue hovercrafts, an inshore rescue boat and a tractor fitted with sand anchors for use in incidents like this one.

More information about BARB, its rescues, and how to get involved is available online at http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/barb