VOLUNTEER lifeboat crews were called to the aid of a missing person in Clacton.

Clacton RNLI station launched its D-Class inshore lifeboat Damar’s Pride in the early hours of Tuesday, February 22, to reports of a missing person as part of a multi-agency search.

The volunteer crew quickly launched into clear and calm weather conditions to the last reported location near to Clacton Pier.

When the crew arrived on the scene, they proceeded to conduct a search, one nautical mile both east and west of the initial location to try and locate the casualty.

A spokesman said: "The crew continued to search for the casualty until a change of crew was required.

"So around 3.30am the crew returned to the shore where a relief crew took over to continue to search.

"Essex Police and Coastguard teams assisted in the search, but after a thorough search both onshore and offshore produced nothing, the RNLI crew were stood down, but Essex Police teams would continue to search and monitor the scene."

The crew returned to the lifeboat station where the lifeboat was cleaned, refuelled, and put back on active service shortly afterwards.