Are *they* being unreasonable?

Yes, I think that they are being unreasonable.

Is the piously worded response by the spokesperson indicative of what is happening in the RNLI today?

‘The lifeboat station should be an environment where people can expect to be treated with dignity and respect. ‘We cannot allow bullying, harassment or discrimination in what should be a safe and inclusive environment and there will be serious consequences for anybody who demonstrates this behaviour within the RNLI.

Surely telling them that the mugs were offensive if they were ever in the view of others and that they should take them home or dispose of them should have been sufficient.

Unfortunately, the sea can be less than a safe environment and they have lost six volunteers who risk their lives to rescue others.

I hope this woman is capable of manning the lifeboat by herself.

My father was in the Navy and a Lifeboat man when he retired. I’m afraid he was a lot more salty than this!

I bet the person who objected and the subsequent management are taking fat salaries, whilst these men are unpaid volunteers who risk their lives to save others.

It seems ludicrous to dismiss two men over mugs depicting naked women ( however unsavoury that is), but I am inclined to think there must be a lot more to this than just a couple of seedy mugs. If there isn't more to it, then it is, indeed ludicrous.

Glad someone has, petra.

I'm beyond incensed. Being involved with sailing all my adult life the RNLI is obviously very close to my heart. I've often done fund raising on our pier ( Southend)
I donate to them every month and they have been left a substantial amount of money in my will.
I have contacted them to let them know ( forcefully) how I feel.

What a loss to such a valuable service.

Did it really have to get to this??? PC gone mad.

Totally agree with Luckygirl & N&G shame on her.

I think it's ridiculous and they should simply have been told to get rid of the mugs. I'm not sure why someone had to look at their Whatsap contents??? As for the schoolchildren bit I'm sure there are a number of children who would have told them both that the mugs were inappropriate and they should get rid of them. I remember many primary school children who strongly disapproved of smoking and would tell anyone they met how bad it was. Children today are not the shrinking violets some suppose!

LOL I am with you Luckygirl - shame on the woman that reported this .

The female colleague wants to get a life if she finds this offensive. Loosen up honey.

I think such mugs are in very poor taste and don't reflect very well on the men involved. But it should have been enough to ask them to remove the mugs. Perhaps there's bit more to it than meets the eye.

Dear dear - how very bonkers! Not a trivial matter - no it isn't trivial to sack two dedicated men who have saved many lives. Madness indeed.

The problem with Secret Santa presents is you just don't know what you'll get and if they are from a work colleague you sometimes have to hold onto them for a wee while so you are not seen as a stick-in-the-mud.

It might also not be appropriate to take them home.

The only mistake these men made was leaving them in the workplace and it could have been dealt with in a much more common sense fashion.

I appreciate the female colleague who found them would have been rightly unhappy and it would have been an issue if the men had refused to dispose of them.

I'm also thinking the crew probably tidied up the Lifeboat Station any time a children's visit was planned.

Ridiculous. Such a shame as it may discourage others from volunteering.

So Whitby is now 6 down on their crew due to Political Correctness gone mad !!
These ladies should be ashamed of themselves, all those years of saving live's and experience I do hope they get it sorted as we can't afford to loose men such as these.

madness, these men risk their lives to save lives

I have always had the greatest respect for, and always supported, the RNLI. The seas off the East Coast are some of the most dangerous in the country, and these men volunteer and put their lives on the line. The RNLI should hang its head in shame at the lack of common sense on display here for something that could have been rectified in minutes with no fuss. I wouldn’t blame the whole crew for saying goodbye RNLI.

And how many schoolchildren visit Whitby Lifeboat station? Surely they tidy the place up and put things away before they have visitors. How is a mug a safeguarding risk, even if it depicts naked women? How silly, to lose good volunteers over such a trivial matter. What's the matter with some women these days?

The first thing I think when I read stories like this is ‘who actually cares’? MAYBE the mugs were in poor taste, but as shysal says, just tell them to get rid of them.

I can’t help but wonder if the ‘senior female colleague’ who found and reported the mugs, will feel different shoud her or her loved ones find themselves in trouble only to find out that the RNLI are unable to help due to them no longer having enough volunteers.

Ridiculous! They were just cheeky Secret Santa presents. Chuck the mugs away and forget about them. Many owe their lives to these selfless volunteers.