Police in Bournemouth have cautioned a woman who modified a Yachtmaster certificate that she downloaded from Facebook and used it to charter a yacht.

The woman hired a yacht last summer from a charter company, who did not notice that the document was fraudulent.

A spokesperson from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said that the yacht was returned undamaged, but the certificate she used was later found to be a forgery.

The 29-year-old woman voluntarily attended Bournemouth Police Station on Friday 22 February where she was formally cautioned for using forged material to obtain a boat.

Police decided against prosecuting the woman as she was of previous good character and had paid for the charter of the yacht in full.

Captain Andrew Phillips of the MCA warned seafarers against posting certification on the internet and advised anyone who has uploaded such documents to remove them.