Lifeguard cover ends on 24 South West beaches

The RNLI said it had been "an exceptionally busy" peak season

Lifeguards will stop patrolling 24 beaches in the South West on Sunday.

The RNLI said it would stop lifeguard cover on the remaining 66 beaches on different dates in the coming weeks and months.

An RNLI spokesperson said it had been "an exceptionally busy" peak season for the lifeguard teams and praised them for having done "a remarkable job".

Sunday will be this season's last day of cover on eight Devon beaches and 11 in Cornwall.

'Dangerous swell'

RNLI regional lifeguard lead for the South West, Henry Saddler-Irvine, said: "Our teams have shown immense dedication and skill in responding to numerous incidents and giving critical care to people who have found themselves in difficulty.

"Towards the end of peak season, we saw our teams respond with competence and professionalism to the challenges presented by Storm Erin and successfully kept beachgoers safe from the dangerous swell that hit the coast. "

In Devon lifeguard cover will end for the season on:

• Bigbury on Sea

• Blackpool Sands

• Budleigh Salterton

• Dawlish Warren

• Hope Cove

• Sandy Bay

• Slapton Sands

• Teignmouth

In Cornwall lifeguards will no longer patrol:

• Carbis Bay

• Crackington Haven

• Freathy

• Gunwalloe

• Lusty Glaze

• Marazion

• Mexico Towans

• Northcott

• Polurrian Cove

• Porthkidney

• Porthleven