A 79-YEAR old man was rescued from Weymouth Beach amid preparations for today's  beach motocross.

The man was helping with preparations for the event when he was taken ill, a representative from the coastguard said.

Paramedics contacted the coastguard to ask for assistance just after 12.30pm yesterday .

"Our 4x4 capability was required to quickly move the man from the beach and out of today's appalling weather into an ambulance," said a spokesman from Wyke Coastguard Rescue Team.

"We returned to station without ice creams within the hour to complete paperwork."