The coastguard was called to rescue a man believed to have been swept away by the tide.

West Bay coastguard rescue team  was paged shortly after 6pm last night by Solent Coastguard NMOC (National Maritime Operations Centre) to reports of a male who was possibly cut off by the tide and waving for help east of Charmouth.

Eight rescue officers from West Bay, including the station officer, responded and back-up was provide by a team from Lyme Regis.

While en-route to Charmouth, further information was received from members of the public indicating that the person was not in distress and it was a false alarm with good intent.

The coastguard was stood down.

A spokesman for West Bay Coastguard said: “We want to thank the members of the public for alerting the coastguard. Stay safe on the coast this summer but if you think someone is in difficulty, or even if you are not sure, do not hesitate to dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.”