POLICE and firefighters came to the rescue of a boat after it got into difficulties on York's swollen River Ouse. 

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said today that crews from York, Acomb, Selby, Malton and Ripon responded to reports of a boat which had become loose from its mooring following a rise in the water levels.

"Crews used the York boat to rescue two male occupants and moor the stray boat in a safe location," it said.

York Rescue Boat tweeted that it worked alongside North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service to reports of a boat in distress.

"Lifeboat launched to Millennium Bridge and boat brought to safety by ourselves and fire boat crew,"it added.

The incident happened yesterday teatime on a stretch of the river near the Millennium Bridge.

One onlooker tweeted a video showing bystanders on the Millennium Bridge trying to help the crew as the boat drifted past.

A local resident told The Press  he had just got home from walking his dog on the Millennium field, where he saw about 20 police officers, with a drone, running after a small boat with no power floating down the Ouse.

"It passed under the Millennium Bridge sideways," he said.

"The boat was equivalent in size to the ice cream boat that parks at the Millennium Bridge. There were people on the boat."