A NEW £220,000 police boat will be shared by forces across Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire and The Humber (YaTH) Marine and Underwater Search Unit will launch their new 10m long Cheetah marine catamaran next weekend.

The custom made boat will help Humberside Police, North, South and West Yorkshire Police with searches of rivers, lakes, canals and the sea, as part of a 25-year commitment.

Forces said the new boat would allow officers to do “much more to help the public, save lives and keep them safe in our waters”, with the YaTH team expected to deploy two or three times a week “to help with rescues, search for missing people, to search for evidence, carry out searches of other vessels, go on high visibility patrols and for training”.

Inspector Rob Grunner, of Humberside Police, said: “The launch of the new boat marks an important day for the regional Marine and Underwater Search Unit.

"Taking possession of this vessel will open up a host of opportunities to allow us to keep the public safe, work with partners in the area to tackle crime and assist colleagues on the rivers and coastal areas of Yorkshire.

“It will allow the team to work longer hours in much more challenging environments, keeping them safe while they go about their duties.”

The new boat also means police will work better with the Fire and Rescue service, UK Border Force, Coastguard, RNLI, Humber Rescue and ABP, police said.

It will join the rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs), already in use, and is fitted with two 300bhp top-of-the-line Mercury engines capable of over 40 knots, has a total load of over one tonne.

The vessel can carry between 10 and 12 people plus equipment, and is fitted with hi-tech search equipment and a special winch for lifting objects out of the water.

The public is welcome to the launch of the boat on Saturday, September 29, at Hull Marina from 10am onwards.