A COUPLE who were walking their dog on the sands at Arnside had to be rescued by coastguards on Sunday.

The 36-year-old man and 34-year-old woman were minutes away from being cut off from the beach just after midday when the tide began to come in, but a member of the public raised the alarm by calling 999.

Coastguards managed to escort the couple to safety before high water, which was due at 12.40pm.

A spokesman for Liverpool Coastguard said: "The couple were from Holme in Yorkshire, and so they were unfamiliar with the area. They were going to get cut off, but they are both fine."