ANY Maldon people planning a trip to Southend this weekend should take heed of a safety warning issued by Essex RNLI.

The lifeboat charity fears visitors could be stranded on the mudflats, cut off by unusually high spring tides.

With sunny weather expected to bring visitors flocking to the Essex resort, the charity is urging visitors to check tide timetables before they visit the beaches and stay alert to changing conditions during their stay.

There has been a big rise in people cut off by the tides this year

The volunteer crew at Southend RNLI has seen a big rise in call outs to people cut off by the tide over the lockdown months.

On one day alone the crew rescued twelve people who were stranded in the water and unable to make it safely back to the beach without help from the station's lifeboats and hovercraft.

Last month, one adult and five children were found clinging to a buoy at sea after the tide rushed in behind them and they found themselves out of their depth. They were spotted and were rescued by one of Southend's inshore lifeboats and safely returned to shore.

There are also many sharp objects hidden under the water at Southend, such as rocks and oyster shells. Once the water rises over the mud these become invisible and can cause injuries. Last month the station's hovercraft rescued a person near Mulberry Harbour after they suffered severe cuts on their leg.

Guy Addington, RNLI Regional Water Safety Lead for the South East, said: "September has always been a popular time for coastal walking, however, with higher than normal spring tides forecast this weekend, areas affected by tidal cut off may be cut off faster than normal, and some areas not normally cut off may be in the coming days.

"Anyone heading to the coast is reminded to ensure they have enough time to return if they decide to venture further onto the beach.

"We have beautiful stretches of coastline all across the region and Southend is a very popular location for daytrippers and locals alike, but we're asking people to be prepared and help keep themselves safe by checking local tide times this weekend.

"It's hard to imagine how walking can turn out to be a dangerous activity, but we've already seen many times this year at Southend that a pleasant and seemingly safe walk out on the mudflats of the estuary can become a threat to life within minutes."