Rescue operations continue overnight for vessel in distress in English Channel

Rescue efforts for a vessel "in distress" in the English Channel with five people on board will continue overnight, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said.

A helicopter, plane and lifeboats were launched on Saturday evening south-west of Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth.

Further details about the type of boat involved and the nature of the emergency have not been confirmed by officials.

RNLI lifeboats from Falmouth and Plymouth have been joined by a number of civilian vessels which are assisting the operation.

Several boats, primarily French fishing vessels, appear to be assisting rescue efforts, according to information from the maritime monitoring website Marine Traffic.

Around a dozen boats were clustered in an area off the coast of Plymouth in the early hours of Sunday.

A HM Coastguard aircraft has been flying over the same area, according to Flight Radar.

Moderate to rough conditions were expected off the coast of Plymouth overnight, the Met Office said.

Some thundery showers have been forecast, while visibility was expected to deteriorate at times.