Family group rescued from St Helens Fort walk

In previous years thousands of people have taken part in the unofficial event

A group of walkers including children have been rescued by boat after attempting to make a traditional low-tide crossing to an offshore fort.

They were reported to be in difficulty at 09:00 BST on the route to St Helens Fort near Bembridge, Isle of Wight, the RNLI said.

A passing rigid inflatable boat (RIB) took the group to shallower water.

Isle of Wight Council advised people not to do the annual walk this year to ease pressure on emergency services.

St Helens Fort is the smallest of the so-called "Palmerston's Follies"

The group - comprising eight people including two young children - were cut off by the tide, Island Echo reported.

An inshore lifeboat and the local coastguard rescue team were sent to meet them and check no-one else was on the fort, Bembridge RNLI said.

In previous years, thousands of people have taken part in the informal event, which usually takes place in August at one of the lowest tides of the year.

In 2018 two young girls nearly drowned after falling into deep water during the crossing, the RNLI reported.

The mass walk takes place annually at one of the lowest tides of the year to St Helens Fort and back

Isle of Wight Council warned people not to make the attempt this year because emergency services were already stretched by the coronavirus pandemic.

It said: "Previous gatherings to attempt the walk have had up to 4,500 walkers.

"Overcrowding has resulted in Bembridge RNLI volunteers rescuing casualties caught out by the rising tides and uneven ground.

"The only way to get to the fort is to cross a very narrow strip of shingle, and it would be impossible to do this safely except in very small numbers."

The privately-owned fort is the smallest of the "Palmerston's Follies", a group of sea forts built in the 19th Century to deter a French invasion.