Seahouses Lifeboat's first call of 2023 is to stranded causeway car

The RNLI was called to Holy Island on 2 January

It may be a new year, but a lifeboat crew's first call-out of 2023 was to deal with an old problem.

The RNLI's Seahouses crew was called at about 11:45 GMT on Monday after a car became cut off by the rising tide while attempting to drive to Holy Island off the Northumberland coast.

The safe crossing times were from 01:20 to 09:40 and 13:55 to 21:55, RNLI spokesman Ian Clayton said.

The occupants of the car were found "safe and dry" on the causeway bridge.

The causeway connecting the mainland to Holy Island is cut off by the tide several times a day

Mr Clayton said the RNLI was called to trapped cars eight times last year, on seven occasions in 2021 and six times in 2020 - but the actual number of such incidents was "considerably in excess" of those figures.

He said the lifeboat is only called in extreme situations where there are concerns about people being in the water, while the shore-based island Coastguard will deal with the majority of strandings.

"It might not seem a lot but each time we have to go there it means the lifeboat is not available for another rescue," Mr Clayton said, adding: "It's frustrating because it is totally avoidable if people just use some common sense."

Signs on Holy Island, also known as Lindisfarne, warn motorists of the dangers of the tide

Mr Clayton said it was "fortunate" there had not been any fatalities but there was always "great concern" a car could be swept into a deeper channel where it could overturn leading to drowning or cold water shock for its occupants.

He said: "Local people are fully aware of [crossing times] and are fully up to speed with when they can get across, but not all visitors pay the same attention.

"We have rescued people from all walks of life who have been caught out and we would urge people to pay attention to the signs and check the crossing times."

He also said most cars have to be written off once sea water gets into the engine compartments.