Lifeboat services have been withdrawn from a seaside town in Co Down after more than half its staff quit in a bitter internal dispute, it emerged today.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution withdrew its main boat from the Newcastle area following the resignation of 15 staff members last week.
The in-shore inflatable boat was taken out of service on Wednesday but now the main lifeboat has also been withdrawn for safety reasons.
Two RNLI inspectors had travelled from Dublin in a bid to resolve the fall-out.
However, one of those, Mr Colin Williams, said today that the organisation felt it had little option but to withdraw the service.
He said cover would be provided by other stations along the coast. "We are concerned about the health and safety aspects of the launch and recovery," he said.
"We witnessed a very hostile scene at the lifeboat station on Wednesday evening and there is a hostile mood in the town, emotions are running high and the RNLI feels that this is an action we sadly have to take."
He warned that unless the situation was resolved urgently the base's future was in serious doubt.
Mr Williams earlier said six crew and three shore helpers walked out of a meeting on Wednesday night without any verbal resignation, but leaving behind their pagers.
Industrial relations at the station have soured in recent months, with the threat of legal action hanging over the base.
PA