The Irish Naval vessel LE Samuel Beckett has rescued almost 220 people off the Libyan coast.

At around 5am Irish time, the ship located a 12 metre rubber vessel with 85 people on board around 40 miles north east of Tripoli.

A short time later, a similar craft with 133 people on board was found.

All 218 migrants are on board the LE Samuel Beckett.

The Irish vessel, and its predecessors in the area, LE Eithne and LE Niamh, have between them rescued around 8 thousand refugees in the Mediterranean.