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Volunteer lifeboat crews are praised for dedication

MORE than 800 people in Scotland were rescued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) last year, according to the charity's official statistics.

A total of 1006 lifeboats were launched in Scotland in 2011, an average of 20 a week, with 847 people being rescued.

This compares with 2010, which saw 1011 launches and 916 people rescued.

The RNLI's divisional inspector in Scotland, Paul Jennings, praised the volunteer crews for their dedication – even in hurricane-force winds.