Leasowe Bay paddle boarders rescued after struggling at sea

The RNLI said the paddle boarders "rafted themselves together using their paddles and safety leashes"

Four paddle boarders have been rescued by lifeboat crews after they were swept out to sea.

The boarders needed help after hitting an offshore wind and an ebbing tide near Leasowe Bay, off Wirral, at about 12:50 BST on Sunday, the RNLI said.

Hoylake RNLI's hovercraft rescued the group, who had "rafted themselves together using their paddles and safety leashes", a charity spokesman said.

Hovercraft commander Chris Williams said the group had been "lucky".

He said Hoylake's volunteers had been alerted to the danger while they were hosting a fundraising car wash at their lifeboat station.

A lifeguard on a water bike had located the paddle boarders about 1.5 miles (2.4km) offshore and stayed with them, he added.

The group were checked over and did not need any medical attention.

Mr Williams said it was "lucky that the alarm was raised in good time, as the conditions would have carried the group further out to sea".

He urged those planning to use a paddle board out at sea to always check the weather forecast and to tell someone about the timings of the trip.

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