A "vulnerable" woman in distress, who was threatening to throw herself in the Penryn River, had to be rescued by emergency services

The 21-year-old Helston woman sparked concerns for her welfare when she went missing last Thursday, following a conversation with her partner.

A missing persons search was launched and police officers looked all over Penryn for the woman, but they were unable to locate her until they managed to get hold of her on her mobile phone.

"It became apparent that she was somewhere by the sea from what she was telling us," a police spokeswoman said, adding that the missing woman was "distressed" and in a "vulnerable condition".

A police negotiator was alerted and the Falmouth lifeboat and coastguard rescue team were also mobilised just before half past midnight.

Before the lifeboat could arrive, however, the "female threatening to enter the Penryn River" had been located near the Ocean BMW garage at Ponsharden.

"She was found lying at the edge of a 15 to 20 foot drop to the beach," the police spokeswoman said, "she was on some sort of ledge, which was looking a bit precarious, and she was not in a particularly good way."

Police officers managed to move the distressed woman away from the edge and she was taken by ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske.

The lifeboat and coastguard rescue team were stood down shortly beforehand.

At the last report, the woman was said to be in a stable condition.