RNLI on the lookout for city's new lifeguards

The RNLI says it wants to recruit lifeguards at Portsmouth's beaches

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) wants to recruit lifeguards to patrol beaches in Portsmouth over the summer.

Applicants should be able to swim 400m in under seven and a half minutes, run 200m on a beach under 40 seconds and swim 25m in 50 seconds, it said.

The charity said Southsea Beach was particularly popular with locals and tourists, attracting windsurfers, paddleboarders and open water swimmers year-round.

Tom Ward, lead lifeguard supervisor, said the lifeguards were "at the forefront" of the RNLI's lifesaving work.

Anyone applying needs to be aged 16 or over on the day of their assessment and hold a National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification.

The roles last for the summer season but many lifeguards use the comprehensive training as a springboard to a career in emergency or public services or to find jobs abroad, said the charity.

Mr Ward said it was a "rewarding and varied job", adding: "No two days are the same.

"There is so much opportunity for progression in the role and you make a huge difference in your community by preventing potentially life-threatening situations.

"We are looking for people willing to learn and put their training into action to make the right decision if someone's life is in danger."