A couple on a sailing holiday  helped to save 10 refugees from drowning as they attempted to flee Libya.

Nicolette Chambers, 51, and her husband Stuart, from Chelford,  were sailing between Greece and Italy when they heard screams for help in the dark.

As they made their way over to a vessel they saw it was sinking and began a desperate rescue mission. 

The couple, their son Oliver and two family friends, pulled 10 people from the sea on to their Beneteau 57 yacht named Jasmina, before contacting Greek officials.

Greek coastguards pulled one more person to safety but 19 others drowned. They said the refugees had been on a raft which overturned.

Nicolette, originally from  Haslingden, Lancashire,  and her family were sailing to Kefalonia from Zante when they heard the screams at about 3am on Saturday.

The 30 refugees had been at sea for several days after leaving war-torn Libya when their vessel started to sink.

After the rescue drama, Nicolette sent  text messages to her parents Frank and May Horrocks, both 82, who still live in Haslingden. 

The couple said they were very proud but not surprised by their daughter’s actions.

It is thought more than 400,000 refugees have fled Libya since the conflict began in February.

Nicolette and Stuart have owned the 60ft yacht Jasmina for two years. The boat is usually moored at Abersoch in North Wales but was in Sicily after Stuart and Oliver had sailed there in August. The party set off from Sicily  a week ago. They are expected to fly  home on September 21 after sailing to Turkey.

The couple met while both working for Shell and have three children; Claire, 24, a doctor at a London hospital; Sophie, 22, who is an accountant and Oliver, 18, who starts at Nottingham University this month.

Stuart, 54, is a non executive director with Tesco while Nicolette is now a housewife.