THREE fishermen escaped from a sinking ship off the Hampshire coastline.

They got ashore unhurt from the vessel after it started taking on water near to Barton.

The 28ft Lady Linda was on its way to Pembroke Docks in West Wales on Monday when disaster struck.

The crew, who are thought to be in their 20s, had only bought it in Southampton hours earlier.

They beached the vessel after it started taking on water, and called the coastguard at about 4pm after they got ashore.

Six coastguards from Lymington were called out, but despite their best efforts the vessel could not be saved.

The ship has started to break up and debris has washed up along the coastline near to the incident.

A coastguard spokesman said: “There was a three-inch hole in the bow where they could have possibly hit something, or the anchor could have come away, and that was what caused them to take on water.

“You have got to make sure that things are correct before you set out to sea, but they could have hit something when they were sailing.”