A Sussex lifeboat was put to sea 41 times last year thanks to residents, businesses and other organisations who raised more than £39,000 to keep it afloat.

The Newhaven lifeboat was called to a yacht in distress in a gale off Brighton, for which coxswain Ian Johns received special thanks from the RNLI.

Among other rescues was a jet-skier with a suspected broken back in the harbour entrance and a woman trapped up a yacht's mast with a broken arm off Brighton.

Mr Johns appealed for people at sea and going to the beach to be more safety conscious.

He said: "We will respond when anyone is in danger but that can often be of their own making.

"It could happen that while we are helping someone who has been careless, someone else is in real trouble. The lifeboat can only be in one place at a time."

The Newhaven and District Lifeboat Society raised £39,168 towards keeping the David and Elizabeth Ackland ready for sea.

Donations included help from the Newhaven Deep Sea Anglers and two Lewes bonfire societies.

Newhaven is one of the busiest lifeboat stations in Sussex and the Severn class lifeboat the largest type in the RNLI's fleet.