ROWERS Ben Steadman and Mark Davis were towed back to dry land just a few miles into their attempt to row across the English Channel.

The prison officers had to set off from Weymouth without their support boat after it broke down on Saturday.

Coastguards decided to bring them back after support staff failed to get the vessel going and conditions turned tricky near Kimmeridge.

Ben, from Weymouth, and partner Mark were located by the coastguard rescue helicopter and towed into Lulworth by lifeboats on Saturday evening.

Ben, 32, said: "I was feeling seasick but Mark was fine and we were quite happy to plod on.

"But the decision was taken out of our hands. We had a call saying the coastguards were going to tow us in.

"They felt that without the support vessel we might have got into trouble had we carried on because of the conditions."

The pair were around 12 miles into their attempt -to row to France and back non-stop - when they were told the support boat's starter motor had gone.

Nearby rowing vessel Atlantic Angels was also towed out of the choppy conditions and back into Lulworth.

Ben and Mark, who had arranged the Weymouth to Cherbourg challenge as a practice run' for the 2009 Woodvale Indian Ocean Race, are now keen to rearrange the crossing.

Ben added: "There's a few windows in the next few weeks so we're going to look for a suitable time.

"We just need to make sure the support boat is on its best behaviour and ideally wait for some better weather.

"We were doing okay though and we're fine. It's just the starter motor that was the problem."