Boats adrift in the Helford River prompted a potential missing person search this morning (19.1) before emergency services discovered they had been released during a spate of break-ins.

Falmouth inshore and all weather lifeboats, along with rescue teams from Falmouth and Porthoustock and the rescue helicopter from Newquay Airport, were sent to the river at around 9am following reports of a drifting yacht and a dinghy with its oars floating in the water.

However rescuers were stood down after the boats were linked to reports at least three or four vessels had been broken into along the river between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Teams initially met with the moorings officer who had called after seeing the boats afloat, and due to signs of recent activity on board it was felt a person in the water could not be ruled out.

A coastguard spokesperson said: "With nothing untoward found, the inshore lifeboat searched a couple of vessels in the creek and found that they too had seen activity on board.

"Following further information that the owner of the initial casualty vessel was safe and well we were stood down from a search and rescue point of view.

"We handed this incident over to the police as there were signs of criminal activity relating to this job."

Officers from the Falmouth Boatwatch were contacted this morning over the break-ins last night, and said known boat owners that have been affected are being contacted, while it is possible there are more that police are unaware of.

The team are asking owners to check that their boat is secure and consider upgrading its security, and if anyone realises they have been a victim of crime to calling 101 or visit the Devon and Cornwall Police website.

Anyone whose boat has been broken into is asked to be forensically aware and consider if the offender left blood, footprints or DNA at the scene, touched anything that may hold fingerprints, or left anything behind such as cigarette ends or tools.

Anyone with information about the recent break-ins, or who saw anything suspicious in the Port Navas area overnight, should call 101 or email 101@dc.police.uk