Tide warning after rocks rescue

The inshore lifeboat was scrambled following a 999 call

Parents are being urged to warn their children about the dangers of incoming tides after four teenagers were rescued from rocks off the Tyneside coast.

Tynemouth's inshore lifeboat was scrambled on Tuesday afternoon when a member of the public saw the youngsters off Marsden Bay, South Shields.

Rescuers said the two boys and two girls, aged between 13 and 15, did not seem to understand they were in danger.

A lifeboat spokesman said they could have been trapped there for six hours.

Safety advice

The teenagers became stuck on rocks known locally as Camel Island, at the south end of Marsden Bay.

Volunteer RNLI crewman Alun Ross explained: "We rushed to the scene and found the children standing on the rocks.

"Amazingly, they weren't too happy to be rescued and didn't seem to understand the danger they were in.

"They could have been stuck there in the dark and cold for another six hours.

"We got them onto the lifeboat and took them to safety at Marsden beach, where a coastguard team was waiting to make sure they were ok and give them safety advice."

Anyone going near the sea should check the state of the tide beforehand, an RNLI spokesman added.