Lifeboat saves family on sandbank

Two children and an adult have been rescued after becoming stranded on a sandbank when the tide surged in at a holiday resort.

The lifeboat at Wells-next-the-Sea in north Norfolk rescued the children, aged four and six, with their mother from the Bob Hall sands on Saturday.

Chris Hardy, a volunteer lifeboatman who took part in the rescue, said the tide on the beach sweeps in quickly.

The three were visiting the resort from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire.

Mr Hardy said: "Fortunately the three people remained on the sand rather than attempting to cross channel.

"The tide sweeps in quickly here and if they had tried to cross the water then they could have been in danger.

"The great expanse of sand on Wells beach looks very inviting and at low water it looks very easy to cross the channel.

"But I would strongly urge visitors to the beach to regard the safety signs on the access ways."