Norfolk coast visitors stranded on Scolt Head Island rescued by RNLI

The RNLI deployed their hovercraft to rescue the stranded holiday makers

A group of 16 stranded holiday makers had to be rescued by hovercraft from an island after high tides meant they could not get back to their beach.

Hunstanton RNLI said 11 adults and five children, two of whom were babies, were trapped on Scolt Head Island, Norfolk.

The group told the crew they had not realised the risks posed by the sea, which cuts off visitors at high tide.

It was the largest number of people rescued from the island this summer, the rescue charity said.

The dunes of Scolt Head are visible on the horizon looking across the north Norfolk marshes and inlets from Brancaster Staithe

Scolt Head Island is made up of sand dunes and mud flats and it can become cut off from the Norfolk mainland at high tide

The group was taken back to the mainland and transferred into the care of the local coastguard.

The RNLI said it took three journeys to evacuate them from the island, which is accessible on foot at low tide.

Last month, four rescues of stranded visitors had to be carried out at Scolt Head, with the largest being a group of four.