Rescue mission launched on St Anne's Beach as coastguard are called in to help find 'vulnerable' Fylde man

The 33-year-old described by Fylde Police as 'vulnerable' was later found close to the waters edge on a stretch of the beach, by the Lytham coastguard team, operating their search patterns.

Both the Lytham coastal team and the RNLI all weather lifeboat were launched for the mission. The young man was found and handed back into the care of Fylde Police officers.

A spokesperson for the coastguard said the teams had been quick to respond to the early morning call from officers.

He said: "The weather last night was quite extreme and there were concerns for the safety of the missing people. The young man was found close to the waters edge by the team and we were able to close the call after two hours."

Gusts of wind of up to 100mph were recorded across the UK as Storm Bella continued to bring in rain and high winds.

Yellow warnings were issued by the Met Office as rain and heavy winds of up to 60mph battered much of the county overnight.

Storm Bella is the second period of severe weather to be officially named by the UK's Met Office this winter.