As gale force winds swept across Europe this week, causing chaos across the UK and many other parts of the continent, one British Christian seafaring organisation has given aid to a sinking ship off the coast of Britain.

The Mission to Seafarers in Falmouth offered aid in clothing, phone cards, and gave support to 26 crew members of the MSC Napoli who were forced to abandon their cargo ship in the English Channel, tells The Church of England Newspaper.

The shipmen had to be winched off the cargo vessel as 50ft waves crashed into their ship, but were carried to safety with the help of two Royal Navy helicopters south of Lizard Point in Cornwall.

Penny Phillips, chairman of the Mission to Seafarers in Falmouth, has said that the organisation was happy to be able to aid the crew members. She said: "This is what the Mission to Seafarers is all about, being there in times of need. As soon as the crew saw our Flying Angel badges the smiles appeared. That is such a wonderful feeling.

"The crew's main concern was to phone home, and phone cards were provided free of charge. By the time the mission team left, nearly all crew members had reached a loved one."

Yesterday the rescued crew were taken to Heathrow Airport to take flights home.

Initial reports from Ecclesiastical Insurance, one of the main Christian insurance providers in the UK, explained there had been around 110 claims made by churches throughout the country, according to The Church of England Newspaper.

Ecclesiastical's Brian King said numerous churches had been damaged by pinnacles falling through roofs, while trees had also blown over in churchyards. He told: "At Christchurch, Northampton, the pinnacle was blown off and went through the roof of the neighbouring Tesco supermarket's loading bay, but no one was hurt. The pinnacle also came off the church at Folkingham in Lincolnshire.

"The loss adjustors are currently working out the costs and obviously it will be quite significant. This was the worst storm in the UK since 1990."