Brighton RNLI lifeboat was launched shortly after midnight on Sunday further to a request from Sussex Police for help to locate a man who had climbed into the superstructure of Brighton’s Palace Pier and was attempting to hide from police officers.

The lifeboat arrived on scene within minutes and used its searchlights to help police and mobile Coastguard units locate the man. Police tried to talk the man down.

Four and a half hours into the stand-off, the man headed towards the shoreline in the uppermost area of the pier superstructure.

After approximately five hours, the man was arrested.

Once all units were safely evacuated from the pier, the lifeboat was released from service and returned to station.

A spokesman for Brighton RNLI lifeboat said: “It’s the longest incident we have been involved in this year.”

Hours after being released from this incident, the lifeboat was again afloat, this time on a planned training exercise.