POOLE RNLI volunteers are appealing for the charity to review its decision to axe the all weather lifeboat at the town's station - warning lives could be put in danger.

Following a coast review back in 2012 the charity announced it was to strip Poole of its Tyne class all-weather lifeboat and replace it with a D class inshore lifeboat at Poole, and a new 25-knot Shannon class all-weather lifeboat, coming into service at Swanage later this year.

But long-time RNLI supporter and former fundraising chairman Brian Traves has made an impassioned plea for it to reconsider.

Speaking at an Open Meeting of the Lifeboat Management Group he called the decision "ill judged at the time and even worse now since new developments have arisen.”

Among the changes he referred to was the planned axing of the Portland coastguard helicopter in 2017 and increasingly busy nature of the port and harbour, including ferry services, 10 public service vessels, six yacht clubs and Poole Bay and Poole Harbour Commissioners seeking to expand the marina.

He added: “Poole Lifeboat Station is the busiest coastal station year after year and must have full services available.

“As a very loyal supporter of our superb institution I shall be extremely concerned should any loss of life occur – and it will. That responsibility lies on the very wide shoulders of our beloved RNLI whose purpose is to save lives at sea."

His statement was met with calls of 'hear, hear' and applause among the 50 or so volunteers, supporters and ex-crew present.

Volunteer press officer for the station, Anne-Marie Clark, whose husband Jonathan has been a volunteer crewmember at Poole for 30 years and coxswain at the station since 1998, said it was "a bitter pill" for them to swallow.

Divisional operations manager Nigel Jones said the decision was taken after the 2012 review showed that "the vast majority of services in Poole harbour could have been successfully dealt with by inshore lifeboats."

He added: "The RNLI doesn’t take decisions like this lightly and would certainly not contemplate a change in lifeboat type if lives would be put at risk. The stretch of coast around Poole Bay will continue to be very well served by Inshore and All-weather RNLI lifeboats based at Poole, Swanage, Mudeford and Yarmouth. There is consequently no plan to review the decision."

He added: "We are very grateful for all that our volunteers and staff at Poole lifeboat station have done, and we will continue to support them in maintaining a superb lifesaving tradition at Poole, by the provision of the most suitable and effective assets for the task."