An independent lifeboat charity in Suffolk is still looking for a new home, but is currently looking at two potential sites for its operations.

Felixstowe Coast Patrol & Rescue launched an appeal in June to find new facilities for its equipment, with a deadline of this month to find a new home as it could no longer use its Co-Op-owned base in a car park close to Felixstowe railway station.

However, coxswain Johno Brett said the Co-Op, based nearby in Hamilton Road, had granted the patrol a rolling lease to continue using the current premises until a new venue had been found.

READ MORE: Felixstowe Coast Patrol & Rescue has launched appeal

He said: "We are looking at two places at the moment. The Co-Op has given us a rolling lease on our old premises and we are looking at two new places and splitting into an office and a training base."

He added the new premises being considered were "very much in the Felixstowe area".

The Co-Op let the charity use the warehouse building, but now needs it back due to changes within the retail company.

READ MORE: Felixstowe Coast Patrol has first female crew in 27 years

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However, the decision meant the rescue service, which saved six lives at sea in 2023, needed to find a classroom, or training room-type facility and a storage room for its seven-and-a-half metre rib vessel and Land Rover.

Felixstowe Coast Patrol & Rescue has 35 volunteers who patrol a stretch of shore from Walton-on-the-Naze to Orford Ness.

The service, which has been in operation for 25 years, responds to a variety of incidents, which could include people falling off jet skis or boats running aground on the River Deben.

Last year alone, the volunteers saved 48 people and a dog in boats that had got into trouble and in total spent 55 days on patrol.