A volunteer lifeboat which was previously suspended after complaints before being reinstated was back on service when kayakers rescued three people at the beach.

Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat had its search and rescue services suspended by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) earlier this month after a series of complaints were made to the MCA about the Beach Road station.

However, the lifeboat has now been reinstated by the MCA – but it has been revealed that the lifeboat was back on service when kayakers responded to rescue three men caught in a riptide at Sea Palling beach on Saturday (June 24) afternoon.

READ MORE: Kayakers save three men from riptide in Sea Palling rescue

North Norfolk News: Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat station in Beach Road Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat station in Beach Road (Image: Adam Barker)

It was the fourth incident where lives have been saved at the beach since the lifeboat was suspended on June 9.

READ MORE: Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat suspended after complaints

Mick Clarke, coxswain of the Sea Palling Lifeboat, said: “There was no 999-call made for the incident on Saturday, so we didn’t receive anything on our pager from the RNLI Humber Lifeboat Station.”

The kayakers who saved the men from the dangerous riptide said they heard their panicked shouts and rushed into the sea to drag them out.

North Norfolk News: Mickey Pitcher-Cooke was one of the kayakers who saved the men caught in the riptide Mickey Pitcher-Cooke was one of the kayakers who saved the men caught in the riptide (Image: Supplied)

The lifeboat station has now been given permission to use one of its two lifeboats – the lightweight 12-foot Arancia-class lifeboat.

However, the station’s larger 20-foot craft, with infrared cameras and radar and navigation systems onboard, is set to stay off service until an MCA audit is complete – which is expected to take place in August this year.

READ MORE: Suspended Sea Palling volunteer lifeboat reinstated

Mr Clarke - one of the 20 volunteers at the Sea Palling lifeboat - said: “It’s great to be back on service.

“We definitely need a boat back on service - the events over the last few weeks have proved that.

“It is nice to know that people think so much of the lifeboat, which has given all of the crew a lift.

“Safety at the beach remains paramount.”

North Norfolk News: Sea Palling beach Sea Palling beach (Image: RNLI)