The bishop with responsibility for the Church's work with seafarers witnessed and offered assistance in the rescue of 25 people off the north coast of Africa, it emerged this week.

On Tuesday, the Bishop of Menevia, Tom Burns, who is Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea, was on board the Grand Princess cruise ship when it came across a small craft crammed full with those who appeared to be refugees from Algeria. They were transferred on to the cruise ship.

The cruise ship was due to head for the Algerian coast to find another vessel to which the 25 could be transferred.

Bishop Burns said: "They must have been at the end of their tether in the first place to take the action that they did."

Above and homepage: the lifeboat reaches the boat carrying the migrants, whose water containers had been empty for five days