Three Britons have been rescued in the Atlantic after their yacht collided with a whale and started to sink, the Portuguese navy said.

A statement said the three, aged between 41 and 61, were picked up by a merchant vessel around 410 miles north east of the Azores on Sunday.

Portuguese rescue services sent a navy corvette and two planes after receiving a distress signal from UK-registered yacht Destiny of Scarborough.

The statement said the merchant ship was closer to the sinking yacht.

The ship took the men to the northern Spanish port of Aviles. The statement said they did not require medical assistance.