Two people have been rescued after trying to cross Portsmouth Harbor in a small, leaky wooden boat.

The two were spotted in trouble and rescued by the Ministry of Defense Police (MDP) in the early hours.

Gosport Police said officers encountered the “ace pirates of Portsmouth harbor” wet and cold after they arrived ashore, where they were checked and searched and their details taken.

The force said officers were trying to trace the owners of the potentially stolen boat, which appeared “to have made its last voyage”.