The RNLI flag will be flown in Teignmouth town centre as a visible show of support, in response to the attacks on the lifeboat charity by anti-immigration agitators.

The town council has resolved to hoist the banner in The Triangle on dates to be agreed with Teignmouth’s RNLI branch.

The proposal was drawn up by Cllr David Cox after far-right activists tried to stir up public hostility to the RNLI in September, when Portsmouth’s lifeboat volunteers brought a boatload of Channel-crossing asylum seekers safely ashore.

Social media abuse, branding the RNLI as ‘traitors’, escalated to real-life attacks and threats targeting RNLI volunteers in Portsmouth and wider afield - including Teignmouth.

Cllr Cox said: “Even locally there have been verbal attacks on RNLI volunteers.

“This is despicable. These people put their lives on the line to help others.

“Less than one per cent of rescues by the RNLI involve migrants, but regardless of race, creed or colour, the RNLI always goes out to save lives at sea.”

This week the town council supported Cllr Cox’s motion to fly the RNLI flag in The Triangle on a various dates, to be agreed between the council and Teignmouth RNLI, amounting to a maximum of 10 days a year.

The motion said the town council is ‘proud’ to have an RNLI station in the town, and praised ‘the courage, dedication and professionalism of the volunteer lifeboat crews, lifeguards and support staff, who stand ready at all hours to assist those in danger at sea’.

It acknowledged ‘the vital role played by RNLI stations in protecting coastal communities like Teignmouth, fishermen, sailors and visitors throughout the British Isles’.

Andy Lilburn, operations manager of Teignmouth RNLI, said: “All of us at RNLI Teignmouth are delighted to receive formal recognition and support from our Town Council for our lifesaving efforts.

“Wendy Richards-Wood, fundraising chair, and myself as operations manager, work closely together with our respective teams to ensure we maintain and deliver a search and rescue capability in the finest traditions of the RNLI , and to have this acknowledgement at civic level is both an honour and a privilege.”.

Regional RNLI spokesman Kyle Reed said: “We’re very grateful to Teignmouth Town Council for the show of support for the RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crews, who are on-call 24/7 to save lives at sea without judgement or preference.”

He added that, in the weeks following the far right attacks on the RNLI, the charity had seen a ‘significant increase’ in donations and ‘a number’ of new supporters – although some members of the public had withdrawn their support.

As well as flying the RNLI flag in The Triangle on agreed dates, Teignmouth Town Council would like to raise it on the flagpole at its HQ, Bitton House, but councillors will need to explore this further, as they must comply with national guidance on displaying flags on government buildings.

They would also like to officially confer Freedom of the Town on Teignmouth RNLI, and are expected to discuss this at a future meeting.