Swedish vessel Alva had to be towed into St Peter Port early yesterday after fishing nets had disabled its rudder and propeller. (Picture by Tony Rive, 0650081)

A SHIP with 40 people on board was dramatically rescued in gale-force winds early yesterday by the St Peter Port lifeboat.

The Alva, a 44-metre, three-masted maritime school for Swedish teenagers, was on its way to St Malo when a large amount of netting fouled its rudder and propeller.

Initially, the Jersey coastguard and French authorities responded but failed to pass a tow from Jersey tug the Duke of Normandy in atrocious conditions and the tug had to return to St Helier with the Jersey lifeboat to land an injured crewman.

It was then decided to call in the St Peter Port lifeboat because the Alva had drifted nearer to Guernsey than St Helier.

The captains of the Alva and the Abeille Liberte both praised the lifeboat crew for the dramatic rescue.