FIVE people had to be rescued from a dinghy after it got into difficulty on the River Tees.

Volunteers from Hartlepool RNLI were called at about 4.43 on Sunday to assist five people in a dinghy, which was in difficulty near the South Gare area.

The inshore lifeboat with four volunteer crew members launched at to 5.00pm and arrived at the scene of the incident eight minutes later to find that a local pilot boat had taken the dinghy under tow.

The tow was passed to the inshore lifeboat who then took four of the people from the casualty vessel onto the ilb and towed the vessel to Paddys Hole on the River Tees where the local coastguard team and police were waiting to offer some safety advice to the people from the dinghy.

The lifeboat returned to the Ferry Road boathouse at 5.50pm and was refuelled and made ready for service by 6.20pm.

Deputy Launch Authority Steve Pounder said: "A quick response from the volunteer crew and assistance from the pilot boat brought the incident to a safe conclusion".