Lifeboat crews in Norfolk and Waveney were called out several times over the weekend as people headed to the coast to make the most of the warmest weekend of the year so far.

Gorleston Coastguard was called 10.23am on Sunday to reports of an object in the water between Caister and North Denes.

Caister inshore lifeboat was launched and the crew found the object was a balloon that had partially deflated.

A spokesman described the incident as a 'false alarm with good intent'.

Wells lifeboat meanwhile was launched twice in three days to rescue people cut off by tide.

At around 7.30pm on Saturday a man and a woman in their 40s from the Midlands were rescued just east of Lady Anne's Drive, at Holkham.

At 4.30pm on Thursday two young women were rescued from Scolt Head Island, near Burnham Overy Staithe.

A spokesman for Wells Lifeboat Station said: 'We are seeing more and more people cut off by the tide.

'People should take care to look at the sea conditions. If the tide is starting to flow in, don't take risks.'

The Lowestoft RNLI lifeboat was called out on Sunday to help a canoeist in difficulty.

The man in his mid-40s left from Pakefield yesterday and paddled north.

He then turned around to head back towards Pakefield against the tide but had become exhausted and was spotted by staff at offshore energy firm SLP who raised the alarm. The lifeboat crew was launched at around 3.15pm yesterday and found the canoeist a quarter of a mile out to sea from the entrance of the harbour.

The crew pulled him and his canoe onto the lifeboat and brought him back to shore.

Coxswain John Fox said: 'He was one of the most grateful people we've ever rescued.'

A rescue team from the Lowestoft and Southwold Coastguard was also called.

A sighting of a person in trouble in the sea also prompted the launch of the lifeboat in Cromer on the hottest weekend of the year so far.

The alarm was raised with HM Coastguard by a member of the public on Saturday at 4.50pm, as temperatures reached the mid 20s.

By 5.07pm, the inshore lifeboat was launched and searched the area around the pier.

However, nothing was found and, after discussions with the police and coastguard, the search was called off.

A spokesperson for Cromer RNLI said: 'The crew and boat returned to the station at 5.30pm and it was cleaned down and made ready for its next call out by 5.40pm.'