A yacht off the Dorset coast needed to be rescued when it started to take on water. 

Weymouth lifeboat crews were called to assist the ten-metre yacht at around 6.55am yesterday.

When lifeboat crews arrived the skipper had been able to stop the leak and the water was being pumped out.

The yacht was then escorted back to Weymouth.

A spokesperson for the Weymouth Lifeboat said: "Our volunteer crew, aboard the Ernest and Mabel all-weather lifeboat, responded to a coastguard request, following a mayday call from a ten-metre yacht taking on water approximately 4.5 nautical miles east-southeast of Weymouth.

"The leak was stopped and water was being pumped out by the skipper as the all-weather lifeboat arrived on the scene.

"A crew member was placed on board to assess the situation and with the vessel's pump coping with the influx, the vessel was escorted to Weymouth waiting pontoon where the vessel was secured and our crew member was recovered to all-weather lifeboat.

"Ernest and Mabel returned to the station where it was cleaned down and made ready."