COASTGUARDS, RNLI personnel and a rescue helicopter were called out until the early hours of Friday to reports of a missing RIB near to Mudeford.

Solent Coastguard issued the appeal for information concerning a 15ft yellow rib on Friday afternoon.

A post on social media by the operations centre said: "Solent Coastguard is appealing for information regarding the owner of a 15ft yellow rib which is currently aground on the rocks on the western end of Avon Beach, Christchurch.

"The vessel is believed to be linked to a beach hut owner in the area."

Anyone with information relating to the vessel, the owner or its mooring, should contact Solent Coastguard on 02392 552 100, quoting reference 026682

RNLI lifeboats from Yarmouth, Mudeford and Swanage and a rescue helicopter from Lee-on-the-Solent joined to search for the missing vessel, which was located stuck against rock groynes.

After boarding the boat, the fuel lines were found to be disconnected and stowed and no key was found in the ignition, prompting coastguards to believe the boat had drifted from its mooring.

In a statement posted on the Facebook page, Southbourne Coastguard said: “Tasked at 1.27am by the national maritime operations centre to reports of a drifting Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB).

“We started our shoreline search and located the vessel jammed against rock groynes.

“With reason to believe that persons may have been on board the vessel, further assets were deployed in the form of Lymington CRT, Yarmouth RNLI Lifeboat and Swanage Lifeboat Station and Rescue Helicopter 175 from Lee-on-the-Solent.

“As the tide fell this enabled us to board the vessel to search for more details or the identity of the owners.

“We managed to confirm that the fuel lines were disconnected and stowed and no key in the ignition. With this information, a final thorough search was completed.

“It was now highly likely that the vessel had broken its mooring in Christchurch Harbour and drifted out of the harbour entrance at Mudeford.

“At this point we stood down and returned to station.”