'PLEASE save the inflatables for the pool'

Those are the words of Burnham-on-Sea Coastguard who are urging people to leave inflatable toys at home when going to the coast.

The warning comes after the Coastguard was sent a picture by a member of the public of a group of children which showed them heading towards the water with their inflatable unicorns.

The person spoke to the mother of the family to warn her of the dangers of using inflatables at sea and she tried to call the children back but the group was close to entering the water and a young girl became stranded in knee deep mud.

After a struggle the young girl managed to roll out of the mud and get to hard land where they all returned to their mum who had said she thought it looked a bit rough but advised them to stay by the water's edge.

A spokesman for Burnham Coastguard, said: "These inflatables are not suitable for use in the sea especially without a parent nearby to hold onto to it, it would only take a few seconds for them to drift outwards and away from the shore and into extreme difficulty

"Obviously, we want you to enjoy the beach and have a memorable time. but make sure it's memorable for the right reason.

"Our tides are very fast and we have a constant wind blowing along our coastline that will quickly and easily sweep any inflatable rings, boats or other lilos straight out into the middle of the estuary where the sea conditions will more than likely flip it over depositing the persons into the cold salty water.

"So please, save the inflatables for the pool and always ensure if your children are in or near the water stay within a short enough distance that you can reach them if anything happens.

"If you see anything that concerns you, dial 999 immediately and ask for the Coastguard."