TECHNICIANS working for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) will now use Citroen Dispatch vans to ferry them to and from lifeboat repair and maintenance work.

The RNLI has taken on 38 2.0 HDi 900 Dispatch vans in a deal worth more than £500,000 at showroom prices. They were chosen for their cargo volume and load accessibility and will also be required on occasions to tow small boats and equipment.

The vehicles have a range of factory options including ABS brakes, air conditioning, central locking, unglazed rear doors, a full bulkhead and electric mirrors fitted. They also have ply linings, extra security equipment, heavy duty load tie down points, tow bars and internal racking.

RNLI transport engineer David Tidman said: 'Previous experience with the Dispatch has shown that it is both reliable and economical. We expect the new, more powerful Dispatch vans to provide even better performance and economy for our divisional technicians.'

During their three-year life with the RNLI the Dispatch vans will cover upwards of 90,000 miles each.