A LIFEBOAT crew was scrambled after reports that a man helping to remove fireworks from a pier following the departure of the QE2 was missing.

The man, one of six workers working on the Tynemouth Pier where heavy waves were breaking, was later found safe in an alcove.

Adrian Don, a spokesman for the Tynemouth RNLI's inshore lifeboat, said the workers found that one of their number was missing when they left the pier at 7.30pm on Monday.

After unsuccessfully trying to find him, they presumed he had fallen into the water.

Luckily, Some of the workers had been communicating with marine VHF radios.

Tynemouth RNLI station's mechanic had been working late at the station, overheard the situation develop over the airwaves, and quickly decided to alert the volunteer lifeboat crew by pager, who assembled in just a few minutes and launched the inshore lifeboat to search for the man.

When the lifeboat arrived at the scene the crew discovered that the missing man had in fact been sheltering from the waves in an alcove, and was safe.

Mr Don said: "Thankfully he was safe and well but in those conditions a wave could easily have carried someone off the pier.

"Anyone who suspects that someone has fallen into the sea should err on the side of caution and immediately call the coastguard on 999 or by using marine VHF if they have one.

"On this occasion, if the man had actually fallen in, even a very short delay in calling for help could have made the difference between life or death".