TWO lifeboat crews sent to help fishermen cut off by the tide near Lynmouth on Saturday were stood down when it was found that the anglers didn’t want to be rescued!

An RNLI spokesman said that crews from Minehead and Ilfracombe were alerted by the Coastguard after reports of people stranded on rocks at Sillery Sands near Lynmouth but were recalled before they got to the scene.

The spokesman added: “The lifeboats stood down after it was found that the anglers intended to be stranded from the shore while spending the night fishing.”

Ilfracombe lifeboat coxswain, Andrew Bengey, said the person who reported the stranded fishermen did the right thing.

"Although the shout to the fisherman turned out to be a false alarm with good intent, the member of the public did the right thing in reporting what they perceived as someone in difficulty.

"It is always better to be safe than sorry and safety is always our priority," he said.