Arbroath lifeboat crew swims for charity

Volunteers from Arbroath RNLI Lifeboat have taken the plunge with a 22-mile swim to raise money for the charity.

The event also marked the forthcoming 200th anniversary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.

The crew of the lifeboat Inchcape took part in the "Sink Or Swim" fundraiser at Arbroath Sports Centre on Sunday.

The relay swim was part of the RNLI's national fundraising day, when stations all over the UK staged events.

The crew were swimming the equivalent distance of Arbroath harbour to the Bell Rock Lighthouse and back.

For two centuries, the lighthouse has warned passing vessels of the treacherous Inchcape reef.

Built by Robert Stevenson, it stands 11 miles from Arbroath Harbour and is the oldest rock lighthouse in the world.

This week, figures showed Scotland's volunteer lifeboat crews rescued more than 900 people last year.

During 2010, crews at the country's 45 lifeboat stations rescued 921 people, including 89 under 18s.

The RNLI averaged nearly three launches every day, with the busiest station being Queensferry, with 74 launches.