Five people rescued from sea in Blackpool just hours after England football victory

Volunteers rushed to the coast at approximately 1 am this morning, July 4, just hours after England's football victory against Ukraine.

Coastguards received reports of people stuck out at sea opposite the lifeguard station in Blackpool

The RNLI crew then waded out to assist the casualties from the water and passed them into the care of the Lytham coastguard.

Casualties were walked off the beach before being treated by the North West Ambulance service.

It is understood that three of them were intoxicated following the success of the Euros quarter-final football game.

A spokesperson from Lytham Coastguard said: "We were called out at 00.57 in the early hours of this morning to reports of two people in the water, possibly in difficulty around the Central area of Blackpool.

"Our volunteers arrived on scene and found five people in the water, we requested the assistance of RNLI Blackpool and they quickly arrived at the water's edge. The crew then waded out to assist the casualties from the water and passed them into our care.

"To make sure there were no other people in the water, we set off an illuminating rocket flare to illuminate the area, after determining all people were accounted for, we walked the casualties off the beach."