A rescue operation for a fishing boat with four crew aboard which went missing in the English Channel in "very challenging" conditions has been suspended.
The RNLI said it would make a decision on resuming the search this morning.
It is believed the vessel's communications failed after the boat encountered rough seas and gale-force winds on Wednesday afternoon.
A Coastguard Rescue helicopter is scouring an area in the southeast of the English Channel, along with two all-weather lifeboats and a French search and rescue helicopter.
"The coastguard has notified other vessels in the surrounding area to remain vigilant and contact them if they locate anything," a spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency added.
The 40m long fishing trawler, a Belgian vessel with a Dutch skipper, was last reported at a location approximately 10 miles from Dungeness on the Kent coast.
"It is a very large search area. The two lifeboats are operating eight miles apart. With no sightings, one does fear the worst," said RNLI spokesman Tim Ash.