The crew of a village lifeboat station have said their new vessel will be a great addition to Hemsby.

Hemsby Lifeboat bought an Atlantic 75 vessel which will expand their service area further out to sea and across the Norfolk coastline.

The lifeboat, which will be named during the lifeboat station's Christmas market, was called into action on its very first day to search for a missing person and assist a boat in distress.

Daniel Hurd, Hemsby Lifeboat's coxswain, said the new vessel will be a great asset to the area.

"The better the equipment the safer it is," Mr Hurd said.

"It's such a great asset and not just for us, but for anyone who is in need.

"We can start with the engines running, which means quicker response times and better safety for the crew.

"We can go out in rougher conditions and this will allow us to go out another six miles."

With the Atlantic 75, Hemsby Lifeboat service can now go out 12 miles to sea.

"We’ve extended north and south so we can help more stations across the coast," Mr Hurd added.

The service have stepped up their training for the new vessel and have also increased their first aid skills.

Chris Batten, helmsman, said: "Our plan is to increase training to ensure the crew are completely competent in all jobs.

"And it's going great.

"The crew are loving it and they're becoming very confident with the new vessel, which is paramount.

"We are growing to make Hemsby Lifeboat more of a use to the community."

Crew members are training in advanced first aid, which will cover dealing with catastrophic bleed injuries as well as oxygen training.

Hemsby Lifeboat's Atlantic 75 will be officially named on December 12 as part of the lifeboat's two-day Christmas market event.

The new name of the boat is only known to a select few so far.

Mr Batten said: "We are trying to keep the new name under raps for now.

"But it is significant to the village and significant to us."

At their Christmas event, the boat will also be traditionally christened by smashing a bottle of Champagne against the boat's bow.

Hemsby Lifeboat Christmas Fair

On December 11 and 12 from 10am until 4pm, Hemsby Lifeboat will be hosting a festive Christmas fair which is free to attend.

At the fair, there will be 30 market stalls, a bar selling award-winning beer, a barbecue, face-painting, and a Santa's Grotto for children of all ages.

Attached to the grotto will be a Christmas workshop, where children can help elves decorate ginger bread men and cakes, and even write a letter to Father Christmas.

The event will also have real reindeer, a DJ, singer and dancers all adding to the Christmas spirit.

On December 12, the new vessel will be officially named from 2pm.

All proceeds from the event will go to Hemsby lifeboat.

For more information, visit Hemsby Lifeboat's Facebook page.