A Falmouth lifeboat towed a boat with a fire on board across the Carrick Roads from the Roseland peninsula yesterday afternoon [10/10] to allow firefighters to access it in the harbour.

Coastguard and RNLI were called in the early afternoon to help the skipper of a 35 yacht who was around two miles off Nare Point when he spotted smoke at the front of his boat, and there was gas and fuel on board.

A coastguard spokesperson said yesterday afternoon: "The person is off the boat and the boat is in tow.

"They have closed everything down and shut off the area, and carried out some cooling... we are going to work out with the fire brigade what to do next."

The boat arrived alongside County Wharf in Falmouth at around 7pm, and was secured to the jetty while fire crews prepared a water supply, before using a covering jet to allow two crew wearing breathing apparatus, with a thermal imaging camera and hose reel to access the forward cabin.

The fire was confirmed to be out by 7.45pm.

A fire service spokesperson said: "The cause of the fire has been confirmed as accidental."