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Two men dressed in Santa and penguin costumes were rescued at sea today after getting into difficulties in a dinghy.

The pair were rescued as they attempted to paddle from Marazion to Penzance in western Cornwall.

They had taken an inflatable boat and were saved by the coastguard after a "number of calls" from concerned members of the public.

The pair claimed to be fundraising for the Help For Heroes charity.

Following their rescue at about 12.30pm they were taken to safety at Newyln Harbour.

A spokesman for Falmouth Coastguard said: "We received reports that these two gentlemen had set to sea in a dingy and appeared to have run into difficulty.

"The coastguard went for observations and these two chaps were clearly in distress. The weather certainly was not ideal.

"They said they were they were taking part in a charity row for Help For Heroes, but clearly they were not dressed for the occasion.

"We cannot say what they were doing - we are usually advised when charity rows happen but this time there was no official notification."