THEY watch, they observe, and they record.

From a vantage point above the Zetland Lifeboat Museum, Redcar, volunteers watch the North-East shore and sea, from Hartlepool to Skinningrove.

The members of Redcar Coastwatch, part of the Sea Safety Group, are watching for people, boats or ships in trouble to alert coastguards to potentially life-threatening situations.

In 1990, fishermen and sea captains across the country became concerned about the number of collisions involving fishing boats and merchant ships that were resulting in a loss of life. The result was the Sea Safety Group.

It involved the formation of coastal surveillance stations around the country, by rejuvenating old coastguard stations, and installing volunteers who would provide extra eyes and ears for the coastguards.

The coastguard station in Redcar was closed in the early Nineties, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. It was brought out of mothballs for the group in October 1996.

Last year, members of the team spotted 29 incidents which would have gone unreported because of the lack of coastguard facilities in the town - and, since it opened, the station has alerted coastguards to more than 100 incidents.

Ray Preston, station controller and a former lifeboat volunteer, said team members were people from all walks of life - and not only from Redcar.

The station is open from 8am until 4pm, but more volunteers could extend that to 9.30pm, or beyond.

The service, like its sister service the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, is funded entirely by donations, and is constantly on the look-out for new volunteers, so that it can develop the service it offers.

Anyone interested is asked to call (01642) 491606