MORE than 1,000 people were rescued by lifeboat crews in the region last year.

Statistics issued today by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution show that last year was the busiest ever year nationally, and the second-busiest in the North, which includes the West coast.

The rise is attributed to the increase in popularity of extreme watersports. Volunteer crews in the North took part in 1,090 launches and rescued 1,011 people. The region's busiest lifeboat station was Sunderland, with 72 launches.

Humber Lifeboat Station carried out 57 rescues, while Whitby's volunteer lifeboat crew took part in 55 launches. The busiest Northumberland lifeboat station was Amble, with 53 launches.

Andrew Ashton, of the RNLI, said: "Without the huge commitment and dedication of the RNLI's volunteers, we would be unable to carry out our increasingly demanding task of saving lives at sea."

The figures show that 72 per cent of rescues in the North were carried out by inshore lifeboats, reflecting the increase in people using the sea for leisure.

A rise in the popularity of activities such as kite surfing, jet skiing and diving is placing new demands on the RNLI in terms of resources and the training of crews to enable them to deal with a wider variety of incidents and craft.

The RNLI launched an appeal last year to raise £10m over five years.