The coastguard is warning visitors to the Norfolk coast make a note of tide times after a family had to be rescued from Scolt Head Island at Brancaster.

Eastern Daily Press: Tony Garbutt, HM Coastguard sector manager at NN Coastguard sector office at Bacton. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYTony Garbutt, HM Coastguard sector manager at NN Coastguard sector office at Bacton. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

Hunstanton and Wells coastguard teams along with and the Hunstanton Lifeboat were called to Scolt Head Island on Wednesday afternoon following reports three people had become cut off by the tide.

In total 16 people were called out to assist the family.

A local fisherman bought the stranded people ashore where they were then given safety advice by the coastguard.

The north Norfolk incident comes as the coastguard is warning people to take heed of tidal warning signs and check tide times.

Speaking on Radio Norfolk, Tony Garbutt, senior coastguard covering North Norfolk, said he and his team had been called out more than 30 times in the last two days.

Mr Garbutt said: “That’s not just down to Scolt Head, we’ve had people being cut off at Wells which again is something that always happens, so it’s a myriad of different incidents.

“The weather always attracts people to the beach and it’s been higher since the restrictions were lifted, the strains on the service with [Covid-19] is that it makes it a lot harder to deal with people when you’re having to following the social distancing rules.”