Safety warning after rescue of children on paddleboards

The children were found 700m offshore from Leasowe (stock image)

Coastguards have warned beachgoers to take extra care after six children on paddleboards were airlifted to safety.

The group were reported missing in Leasowe Bay, Merseyside and found about 700 metres offshore, the Wirral Coastguard Rescue Team said.

They were flown back to their parents before being checked by lifeguards.

In a social media post, lifeguards said they were "disappointed" by the number of beachgoers who were not wearing life jackets or flotation devices.

With the heat expected to continue into the weekend, lifeguards urged people to "always, always, always wear life jackets" and leave inflatables at home.

It is not clear if the children were wearing lifejackets but the warning came after crews experienced "one of our busiest days ever" on Sunday due to the sunny weather and school holidays.

"Within five minutes, we came across a large number of people in different groups cut off by the tide," they said.

Coastguards helped those "who had decided to wade through a waist deep flooding gully".

They also provided assistance to people caught in mud, rip currents and swimming in flooding gullys.