Beach Patrols and Seafront Wardens in Tendring are bracing themselves for a busy summer season this year.

The 25-strong team employed by Tendring District Council will be playing a vital role in helping to maintain safety along the District's coastline.

They have undergone their training and began work at the weekend, with the service operating right through until September.

With predictions that many people will chose to holiday at home in the UK this summer, and a reprint of the District's holiday guide about to be ordered, the signs are promising for an influx of visitors.

Last year the team dealt with 1,124 incidents - falling just nine short of their record summer of 2004.

Tim Sutton, TDC's Seafront Manager, said the Easter weekend had been busy with a large number of visitors about but there had been no major incidents to tackle.

"We had 12 people on duty at any one time over the Bank Holiday and fortunately people heeded safety advice and no one got into any serious trouble as far as we were concerned," he said.

"However, the team was ready to step into action if required. Beach Patrol was called out to a broken down fishing boat a mile off Clacton Pier on Sunday and remained until the lifeboat arrived on scene."

Apart from that they managed to reunite a lost child with their parents on Saturday and dealt with a number of minor first aid incidents.

Pierre Oxley, Tendring District Council's Leisure Portfolio Holder, said it may have been a relatively quiet weekend but he is sure that is unlikely to last.

"Once we get into the warmer weather - and people spend more time on the beach and in the sea - I have no doubt our team's services will be in great demand," he said.

"We are fortunate to have some of our experienced staff back with us this year as well as a number of newcomers. I am always very proud of the work they do, making a real difference to safety along our coastline."

Cllr Oxley said last year's team were involved in a number of high profile sea rescues and often found themselves thrown into life-threatening situations.

14/4/09

Related Links: Seafront and Beaches pages