The Minister for Transport, John Spellar, will launch London Coastguard’s new Search and Rescue (SAR) service for the River Thames on January 2nd at Tower Pier.

The new SAR organisation was announced earlier this year by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has set a SAR co-ordination unit at the Thames Barrier Navigation Control and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has established four new lifeboat stations.

These new SAR facilities have been created to protect all those using the Thames. They follow a risk assessment study by the Department of Transport Local Government and Regions (DTLR) following concerns raised by Lord Justice Clarke in his Inquiry into Thames Safety.

The MCA will work with the RNLI, Port of London Authority (PLA), Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade to ensure that the world class SAR service provided by HM Coastguard around the UK coast and its waters is in place for the tidal reaches of the River Thames.