Spall's sailing mishap

Actor Timothy Spall was rescued by a lifeboat crew after he got lost at sea while sailing in the dark, it has emerged.

The Harry Potter star, who is a keen sailor, is currently filming scenes for BBC TV series Timothy Spall: Back At Sea, which follows Spall and his wife travelling around the coast of Britain on their barge boat.

But on Wednesday Spall had to radio for help after accidentally sailing into busy shipping lanes in the Medway estuary in Kent. A lifeboat was called out and rescuers guided him back in to safety.

Spall told The Sun: "I feel foolish, but it's better to feel foolish and alive than clever and dead. I was terrified and very grateful to the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution). These guys risk their lives for idiots like us."