A LOOKOUT station, which helps ensure the safety of sailors, fisherman and small craft along the Purbeck coast, has been officially re-launched after a month-long refit.

Trained volunteers from the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) keep a constant vigil for vessels in distress from the station at St Alban's Head, which overlooks St Alban's Race, south of Worth Matravers.

Thanks to a lottery grant from Awards For All the lookout station, which keeps watch on the coast between Anvil Point and Lulworth Cove, has now been completely refurbished and fitted with new electronic equipment.

Delighted Christopher Stiles from the St Alban's Head NCI paid tribute to the watch volunteers who helped carry out the station's transformation.

"The final outcome would not have been successful if it had not been for the hard work and dedication of members of the watch who gave their time and expertise, thus saving a great deal of money," he explained. "All of the work undertaken is done by volunteers with no financial reward. The time expended is enormous and the achievements say a lot for the enthusiasm and dedication of all concerned."

The station has been granted declared status,' which puts it on a par with the police, ambulance and lifeboat charity RNLI as a facility available for the coastguard to call.

The NCI lookout, which is manned seven hours a day all year, except for Christmas day, was first opened in 1996, and is one of 35 similar stations around the country.

In the 1980s the government felt it was no longer necessary to keep visual coastguard stations open, so they were closed.

But in 1994 a group of volunteers formed the National Coastwatch Institution when they realised there was still a need for a visual watch to safeguard the lives of sailors.

Anyone interested in becoming a watchkeeper should log onto nci-st-albans.org.uk.