A former Lowestoft lifeboat has been brought back to the town by a charity to be used as a community resource.

The Thames Class Lifeboat charity has worked for the past couple of years to raise the funds to bring back the 50ft Rotary Service lifeboat, which was built at Brooke Marine in 1973.

The vessel arrived back in Lowestoft via heavy loader on Thursday (October 22) and it proved to be quite a spectacle as a large crane awaited to unload her at Brooke Marine.

It prompted its skipper and trustee Neil Anderson to say: 'This just shows the quality of work that that can come out of this town, as she is 99 per cent the same as she was when she left the yard in 1973.'

The project has been organised by charity chairman Scott Snowling, a former RNLI crew member who was keen for the heritage of Lowestoft to be preserved. He has been assisted by skipper Neil Anderson and a dedicated team of volunteers.

'I am really happy she has got here safely, albeit not here in one piece but that was intentional, the roof had to be cut for road transport,' Mr Anderson said.

'The whole process has been a rollercoaster - one minute everything is going right and the next something will trip you up.

'But the plan now, which will take around 18 months and all depends on money and volunteers, is to put her somewhere near the town as a floating museum and offer her services as a training vessel.'

For more information about the project, visit www.50001.org.ukAre you organising a fund-raising project? Email: joe.randlesome@archant.co.uk