A fishing vessel carrying two crewmen came into difficulty after its engine broke down nine miles north of the north Norfolk coast.

Wells RNLI was called out shortly before 7am on Wednesday morning to assist two men aboard the boat, north of the town's harbour.

The all-weather lifeboat was launched from the boathouse at 7.17am with the crew facing a strengthening north-easterly wind and intensifying sea conditions.

They arrived on scene at 7.58am when a decision was taken to tow the vessel back to Wells Harbour.

The recovery took two hours to bring the vessel back to the harbour bar with the boats contending with a "fair amount" of white water and breaking waves.

By 10.25am the lifeboat and its tow were able to cross the bar and reach the calmer water of the outer harbour.

A spokesman said: "At 10.50am the fishing vessel was moored safely on the outer harbour pontoons, with its crew of two both uninjured and safe."

The lifeboat was brought ashore at 11.30am and rehoused, refuelled and sanitised by 12.30pm.