Channel rowers rescued off Alderney

TWO brothers have been rescued by the Alderney lifeboat this morning, after getting into difficulty during a charity row from Weymouth to St Helier.

Former army sergeant Nick Townsend, pictured, and his brother Jason Rice set off from Dorset on Thursday morning. The pair had planned to complete the feat in 36 hours to raise money for Help for Heroes.

It is unclear what has gone wrong, but Guernsey Harbourmaster Captain Peter Gill said a faint distress call was received at about 8am today and the Alderney lifeboat was dispatched to pick the rowers up.

They were about 25 miles north-west of Alderney.

• The pair decided to attempt the challenge in response to the support Mr Townsend and his colleagues received after being wounded in Afghanistan. Then a corporal, Mr Townsend suffered blast wounds to his stomach, groin and knee when a rocket-propelled grenade hit a wall next to him.