Lifeguards back after beach death

Jordan died after being swept into the sea in August 2003

Lifeguards are returning to beaches at a Teesside town, more than six months after an eight-year-old boy drowned there.

Jordan Moon died in August 2003, after being swept out to sea while playing on a beach at Seaton Carew.

It later emerged that lifeguards had been withdrawn from the beach in 2001 to save £40,000.

Now council bosses have agreed to spend more than £120,000 a year to bring back beachside lifesavers.

Lifeguards will be based at three beach areas in the town - starting when the summer school holidays begin in July.

They will be on duty until the end of August.

Mother 'disappointed'

From 2005, safety patrols will be mounted from May until the end of August.

The authority says it plans to spend £100,000 to reinstate the service in 2004.

From then on an estimated £120,000 will be spent to re-establish lifeguards as a "core element" of the council's budget.

Jordan's mother June Wharam was at a meeting of Hartlepool councillors on Monday to hear the news.

She said she was "disappointed" that a full service was not being established immediately.

But she said she was pleased her son's death had not been in vain.