Swimmers were evacuated from the water at West Bay after a man was injured.

RNLI lifeguards responded after a member of the public injured themselves on something submerged in the water on Sunday evening.

He suffered cuts to his chest and the two lifeguards on duty provided care to clean and dress his injuries.

Because their attention was on the injured man, they put the red flag up advising bathers not to go in as they weren’t able to patrol the bathing area at the same time.

A spokesman for the RNLI said: “Once the situation was resolved, they lowered the flag.

“They reported the submerged hazard to the harbour and have since moved the red and yellow flagged bathing area to avoid it until it can be established what it is.’

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We were called at 15.48hrs on Sunday, 17 July, to an incident in the West Bay area. We sent a double-crewed land ambulance and conveyed one patient to Dorset County Hospital.”

Swimmers are urged to be cautious as the item has not yet been identified. 

Dorset Council said initial checks had been carried out but will need to investigate further during low tide.