Four fishermen were rescued from life rafts after their Belfast-registered boat began to sink in stormy seas.

The men abandoned their fishing vessel Wisteria, ten miles south east of Castle Bay, on the Isle of Barra in the Western Isles.

Stornoway Coastguard co-ordinated the rescue after the fishermen sent out a distress signal around 1300BST on Thursday.

The four men were transferred from their two life rafts to another fishing vessel, Three Sisters, which was standing by to assist.

Duncan McKay, watch manager at Stornoway Coastguard, said none of the four fishermen was injured.