In a new twist to a dispute among lifeboat crew in Newcastle, Co Down, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has been forced to withdraw both offshore and inshore cover at the station.
The decision was taken late on Friday night, only hours after inshore cover at the station was temporarily suspended.
This followed a walk-out from a meeting chaired by a senior RNLI manager last week, at which "options for the future were being discussed", the institution says.
Mr Michael Vlasto, RNLI operations director, said every effort had been made to maintain cover, but "emotions are running high at Newcastle, both among the remaining crew and those who have left the station".
"We have also to consider the fact that we are faced with operating with reduced crew numbers, and their safety is of prime importance to the RNLI," Mr Vlasto said.
The institution felt it could no longer operate safely the all-weather Mersey Class lifeboat in this situation, he added.
"We need time to rebuild the station and time to let things settle down in the community. It is our firm belief that this can be achieved given time and understanding," he said.
The institution has stressed that rescue cover will still be available on the Newcastle coast, and will be maintained by the neighbouring stations of Portaferry and Kilkeel.
Earlier this month the RNLI confirmed that it had held an internal inquiry into the running of the Newcastle station. An internal dispute had led to the resignation of the coxswain, Mr Francis Morgan.
Efforts were made last week to resolve this when Mr Morgan addressed a meeting of the crew, having offered to return and to address some of the "constructive criticism" levelled at him. However, the meeting ended in disarray when several crew and volunteers walked out.
This is the second serious internal dispute to affect an RNLI station on the Irish coastline over the past year, the first having arisen at Achill, Co Mayo.
RNLI crews are undergoing a period of change with new competence-based training systems and a new call-out network being extended to Ireland.
The service is also employing coxswains in more peripheral coastal areas where changing economic patterns have put a strain on voluntary services.
