A month-long river relay by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution culminated at Teddington Lock.

The Yellow Welly mascot journeyed from Lyme Regis in Dorset to Twickenham between May 1 to May 31, signed by crews along the way.

The welly’s final leg, organised by Teddington Lifeboat 3rd Crew Gianna Saccomani, was completed onboard TI-GER-LU III - a locally owned 1950s wooden boat.

It was flanked by Teddington’s two D-Class Inshore Lifeboats and cheered on by local fundraisers and ‘Stormy Stan’ - aka Tim Ody - the lifeboat operations manager.

Mr Ody said: "We are very proud to host the last leg of the MayDay Yellow Welly Relay. The River Thames is a key part of the RNLI’s operations.

"It’s vital for our volunteers to have the best equipment for their work both on the seas round our coast and on the Thames.

"Here on the Thames, a key message we are now promoting with other emergency services is #SaferThames.

"Mayday will help us hugely in that mission. Today is a nice way to recognise how we can all help each other to enjoy the River Thames in a safe and fun way."

Teddington is one of the four RNLI Lifeboat stations on the River Thames, and one of only three stations in the UK to have two D-Class Inshore Lifeboats.

This is due to its close proximity to the weir at Teddington Lock, the largest on the Thames, which is a potential hazard.

Rescue operations near the weir generally require use of both lifeboats under a specialised local procedure.

The RNLI’s Mayday campaign runs throughout May every year and in 2018 aimed to raise £750,000 to fund lifesaving kit for the charity’s volunteers.

A crew member’s yellow wellies cost £55 a pair, a lifejacket costs £458 and a safety helmet costs £263.

It costs £1,598 to provide one all-weather lifeboat crew member with all of the kit they need when responding to the call for help.

Money raised through Mayday will help RNLI lifeboat crews face even the harshest operational conditions with the best kit possible.