WIRRAL Lifeboat crews played their role in celebrations for the Three Queens visit to the Mersey this week.

New Brighton's Charles Dibdin and Hoylake's new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat 13-06 Edmund Hawthorn Micklewood escorted Cunard's flagship Queen Mary 2.

They were joined by Lytham St Annes all-weather lifeboat 12-30 Her Majesty the Queen.

More than one million people lined the banks of the Mersey to watch as cruise ships Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria made their way down the river in celebration of Cunard's 175th anniversary.

To ensure the event ran safely, Lifeguards were on duty safeguarding the vast crowds on Wirral and Crosby shores to minimise the dangers of people going into the water, being cut off by the incoming tide or stuck in extensive areas of mud or soft sand.

On the beaches they were involved in providing information, advice plus first aid in two serious cases, dealing with reports of two missing persons plus responding along with the hovercraft to a potential mud rescue.

Dave Lowe, senior Helmsman at New Brighton, said "It's an honour for the RNLI and New Brighton Lifeboat station to be involved in this event celebrating Cunard's 175 years of seafaring history.

"Like ourselves, Cunard have served the port of Liverpool and the River Mersey for many years and it's fitting that the port is recognised by the Three Queens paying their respects to the City and the Cunard building that built Cunard into what it is today."

Graham Sale Lifeboat Operations Manager at New Brighton said: "It was quite a spectacle watching those great ships sailing down the river and enthralling the crowd with superb seamanship as they manoeuvred into position opposite the Cunard Building.

"It was a great tribute to our charities dedicated volunteers and supporters that we formed part of the Queens escort and safety cover in the river as well as the RNLI providing vital safety cover on the coast on both sides of the river."