It's a ferry nice day for a boat trip, even a short one...

Orla Moore
BBC News

Image source, Essex Police

Essex Police said officers "acted swiftly" to prevent a planned, unauthorised music event on the beach at Bradwell-on-Sea today.

Two arrests have been made for conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.

Image source, Google

Ch Supt Glen Pavelin said: “We understand people and vehicles are travelling into Essex to attend this event.

"The message is clear, turn around or face being directed back home by our officers.

"We will use powers at our disposal to ensure this event will not take place.

"If you’re coming to Bradwell-on-Sea to attend this event, you’ll be disappointed."

Image source, Essex Police

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

When the national lockdown came into effect in March, the RNLI found itself in the peculiar position of suddenly having more crew available than ever before.

But while they had lots of people available, they have not been able to gather to train.

"We are slowly now returning to an element of training," says Graeme Richardson, the RNLI's area lifesaving manager.

"And actually this evening in Clacton, our D Class lifeboat will be going out for its first exercise since lockdown."

The number of callouts during lockdown did drop significantly overall. However, the RNLI in Essex did see a rise in call-outs to what the service refers to "despondent people": people reported missing or those who might pose a danger to themselves.

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

Yes, it might be very warm in Clacton today.

Despite the heat, if the crew at the town's lifeboat station gets called out they will have to wear a drysuit.

Under the drysuit, they will have to wear a thick fleece thermal layer.

On top of the drysuit, they will wear a life-jacket. Oh, and a helmet on their heads.

And they wear all this to protect them should they end up in the water.

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

"We'd be surprised if there wasn't some activity here today," says Graeme Richardson, the RNLI's area lifesaving manager from the station at Clacton.

"These days, the calm days, are actually some of the most dangerous. People assume that when the wind and when there's lots of rain those are the dangerous times, but actually on days like today, people find themselves having a false sense of security."

His advice for staying safe at the beach includes making a note of the tide times (low tide was midday in Clacton) and staying within your depth in the water.

"But most importantly if you see somebody in trouble dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard," he said.

Basildon Echo

A campaign has been launched to create a dog friendly beach on a seafront which would be open throughout the year.

Westcliff resident and dog owner Stephen Cummins has launched the Southend Dog Friendly Beach campaign , externalto allow a section of the seven miles of beach in the borough to have dogs on it for the entire year.

As things stand due to a public safety protection order in place, dogs are not allowed on any of the borough’s beaches between 1 May and 30 September.

Zoe Applegate
BBC News

Ice-cream sellers and burger vans are pulling up in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, breaking a ban on seafront trading.

Frinton-on-Sea was developed in the late 1800s, complete with the elegant beach-top Greensward park, to help attract visitors to the select and proudly non-commercial seafront.

But district and town councillor Terry Allen says "carpet baggers" are damaging its special character and local businesses.

"People come here for the peace and tranquillity," he said.

"We get thousands of people, with their families, because all they want to enjoy is the sun, sand and sea - they don’t want to be bothered by the kids saying ‘Give me this, give me that’.

"I call them rogue traders because they shouldn’t be trading – it’s against the law."

Mr Allen said they had been moved on, but some "persistent" traders had kept flouting the local by-law, leading to the police to becoming involved.

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

This is RNLI Clacton's D-class inshore lifeboat. It’s the one they use to rescue people trapped under the pier, which happens a lot.

The Atlantic 85 lifeboat is used for everything other than rescuing people under the pier, including towing in boats in trouble.

It has a crew of four - the person who sits in the front is the helm and is responsible for steering, the two behind look after direction-finding and there’s a seat at the back which has no sea-going rope - they just have to sit there and hang on.

It's been launched nine times in the past 10 days.

This tractor is called "the bendy" because it has a link chassis designed by the RNLI for lifeboat use.

It can be submerged in water and still keep going and is described by the lifeboat station's Graeme Richardson as "manoeuvrable, adaptable, incredible".

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

The sea off Clacton is still calm, it's very warm with clear blue skies and a disappearing haze.

Graeme Richardson, the RNLI's area lifesaving manager, says the station's watch tower offers the best view over Clacton.

He said the weekend just gone was the busiest in a few years with 15 call outs across Essex.

"Today the nice sunny calm days where the tide changes during the day can be some of the most dangerous of conditions.

"The beach patrol will certainly be very busy and today is a risky day."

The Clacton station, external reports that further south on Mersea Island, the West Mersea, external crew's pagers have just gone off.

That’s a tasking request which means the coastguard wants them for something.

The manager at West Mersea will contact the coastguard’s operation centre in Dover to find out what the job is and then they will head out.

The Mersea team has been cleared to go out on a rescue - believed to be an upturned dinghy.

Nick Ayers, the RNLI's water safety lead in the east, said the good weather and the easing of lockdown has made bodies of water more appealing to visitors.

"We've seen a lot more people standing up on paddle boards - it seems to be a craze at the moment - and kayaking, especially in locations you wouldn't expect, like The Broads," he said.

"We're also getting large numbers of visitors to parts of the beaches that are more off-grid, that don't have a natural seafront community. But people are unaware of the tidal cut-offs and the real dangers there - there won't be official information around.

"We'd ask people to stay near lifeguard beaches and swim between the red and yellow flags, for their own safety.

"We do dread this time of year, and pray for calmer, rainy days."

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

And we have our first personal watercraft of the day in Clacton - a jet-ski being launched correctly between the lines of buoys.

• The Eastern Daily Press reports on how villagers are urging beach-goers to take their rubbish home, external due to an "unprecedented amount" of litter
• The Echo tells how a Westcliff man is campaigning to create a year-long dog friendly beach, external
• The East Anglian Daily Times reveals 70 jobs are due to be axed at an Ipswich-based cruise firm, external

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

Image source, Laurence Cawley/BBC

I’ve arrived at Clacton’s seafront.

The car's thermometer tells me the temperature is already 25C (77F).

There’s a haze in the sky, which is currently hiding the horizon, but the heat is already rising.

Today our reporters are going to be mainly based in two coastal resorts 100 miles apart in the East of England: Cromer in Norfolk and Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.

Both towns are known for their Victorian piers, with Clacton's (360m or 1,180ft) stretching more than twice the length of Cromer's (151m or 495ft).

And both are blessed with extensive sandy beaches that attract thousands of visitors every year.

Clacton has a population of almost 57,000 - and Cromer has almost 7,700 residents.

As lockdown restrictions ease, we look at the issues affecting the coast and those who work there.

Seven tankers are transporting 200,000 litres of water a day to help meet the increased demand.

Stevenage sign free agent Luke Prosser after they agree terms with the former Colchester United defender.

Police say the death of the man in his 60s is being treated as "unexplained but not suspicious".

The spaniels were found dumped by the side of the road on one of the hottest days of the year.

One of the three puppies had already died when a cyclist discovered them on Saturday.