RNLI lifeboat crews in the region had their busiest year ever last year, saving hundreds of people.

The volunteer teams of the North division, which also includes Cumbria, Lancashire and Lincolnshire, rescued 961 people and launched its boats 1,282 times.

It represents a 24 per cent rise on the year before and a three per cent rise on the previous busiest year, 2003.

The busiest lifeboat station in the North was Sunderland, with 101 launches, followed by Skegness 82, Hartlepool 81, Blackpool 76, and Fleetwood 73. Nationally, the RNLI also had the busiest year in its 186- year history, launching 9,154 times and rescuing 8,186 people.

RNLI lifeguards were also operating in the North for the first time, patrolling beaches in Tyneside, Wearside, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. They dealt with 1,468 incidents and helped 1,508 people.

During flooding in Cumbria in November, RNLI crews travelled from the North-East to help more than 200 residents in Cockermouth reach safety in some of the worst conditions the charity’s specialist flood rescue team had ever encountered.

Last year’s figures may have been partly caused by the economic situation, said RNLI spokesman Andy Clift.

He said: “We suspect more people stayed in the UK instead of taking holidays abroad in 2009, impacting on the demands made on our lifeboat volunteers and lifeguards.

When we examine rescue figures for the last ten years, they show a general increase in coastal recreation in the North of England.”

Calls to fishing vessels in difficulty, once a major cause of RNLI launches, have decreased.

The most common type of casualty last year was people in the sea – swimmers, divers and people who had fallen in (292 launches), followed by power pleasure craft in trouble (290 launches).

The RNLI charity is urging people to support its fundraising SOS Day on Friday.

Mr Clift said: “Families and businesses are tightening their belts and many people are suffering from the effects of the current economic downturn, but we hope the public will still get behind our volunteer crews and lifeguards on RNLI SOS Day.”

To take part or make a donation go to rnli.org.uk/sos or call 0845-121-4999.