Looe inshore lifeboat came to the rescue of a couple after a swarm of bees settled on their yacht.

The crew assisted holidaymakers aboard the Saffren, south of Polperro at around 1pm on Wednesday.

The bees had made sailing near impossible for the couple and lifeboat crew boarded the vessel and dispersed the swarm by using water and smoke.

'It is the first one like this we have had,' said operations manager, David Haines.

'There was a big swarm in the cockpit and the couple could not get back to steer the yacht, which was in gear.

'The crew knew what they were going to and cleared the bees with smoke flares because they didn't want to hurt them and the crew were safe in their gear.'

The husband and wife were not injured.