Beach safety lessons return to Cornwall beaches

The free sessions are being held at Swanpool beach in Falmouth and Summerleaze in Bude

Free beach safety lessons teaching children how to stay safe on the coast last year are returning to Cornwall.

New figures from the RNLI showed its lifeguards helped 2,685 children in south west England in summer 2022.

The charity said the figures showed nearly half of those needing help were aged seven to 14 and that it saved the lives of seven children in 2022.

Swim Safe sessions will take place in August at Summerleaze beach in Bude and Swanpool in Falmouth.

The first RNLI and Swim England session at Swanpool Beach will take place at 09:00 BST on Sunday and at the same time on 20 and 27 August.

In Bude, sessions will be available on 26 August.

The RNLI's water safety lead, Steve Instance, said the latest figures showed why it was "vitally important for children to know how to stay safe in and near the water".

"By educating them about water safety from a young age, together we can help reduce the number of incidents involving open water," he said.

Swim Safe teaches children aged seven to 14 how to stay safe in and around open water and what to do if they or someone else gets into difficulty.

It started in 2013 and since then 160,000 children have taken part in sessions.

Mr Instance added: "As we celebrate Swim Safe 10 years on, it's incredible to know that so many children have taken part and hopefully the knowledge they have gained, has helped to keep them, their family members and friends safe."

Parents can find out more or book a place on a session on the Swim Safe website.

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].