A powerboat pilot was killed when two competitors collided during a race at West Bay on Sunday.

Police officers were called at around 3.15 pm on Sunday, June 24, to reports that a powerboat had overturned after colliding with another during the Offshore Circuit Racing event, which was being held along the coast at West Bay.

A 53-year-old man from Canterbury in Kent, understood to be the boat's pilot, was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and the coroner has been notified.

The boat's female co-pilot was taken to Dorset County Hospital as a precaution for treatment to shock. The two occupants of the other boat escaped without physical injury.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been informed of the incident and enquiries are underway to establish the full circumstances around the incident, police said.

As well as Dorset Police officers, the West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team attended the incident along with the Devon & Cornwall Air Ambulance, South Western Ambulance Service and the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat from Lyme Regis.

A spokesman for Lyme Regis RNLI confirmed that the team had attended to help with crowd-control and keep members of the public away from the scene.

Police are now appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.