“It is reassuring to know that lifeguard provision will increase as this country faces what could be its busiest ever summer beach season, with many schools closed and restrictions on travel abroad."
Responding to plans by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to increase lifeguard patrols on beaches to 70 per cent of levels during a normal summer by early July, Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:
“It is reassuring to know that lifeguard provision will increase as this country faces what could be its busiest ever summer beach season, with many schools closed and restrictions on travel abroad.
“Recent tragedies have shown that coastal locations can be dangerous places to visit and should serve as a warning that there is a genuine risk to life if people don’t take care and follow safety guidelines.
“Councils urgently need government funding to help them introduce measures to improve safety at beaches and coastal spots, particularly as a lifeguard service still won’t be provided at all the beaches patrolled in a normal summer.
“People need to check advice on council websites before travelling to make sure beaches are open and safe to visit. Lives could depend on it.”