BEACH-GOERS have been warned to take care after a man was injured when he jumped into shallow water from Boscombe pier.

RNLI volunteers and beach office staff rushed to his aid following the incident just after 2.30pm on Tuesday August 7.

Emergency services were called and the man was treated by an ambulance crew before being taken to Poole Hospital for treatment.

The incident took place in front of hundreds of tourists enjoying the hot and sunny weather.

Jon Weaver, Bournemouth's Head of Resort Marketing and Events, said: "Jumping into the water from a height, also known as tombstoning, is prohibited on our piers and the advice both locally and nationally is not to do it.

"It’s incredibly dangerous – you don’t know the depth of the water or what’s below you and you may slip or misjudge the jump, potentially resulting in serious injury."

One rapid response vehicle and one ambulance attended and a spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service Trust said one person suffered minor injuries.

He added: "The casualty was being assisted by a member of the public who was on the scene at the time in a dinghy.

"The RNLI lifeguards escorted the casualty to shore in the dinghy and administered care before handing over to the ambulance service."

The incident happened on the day the RNLI launched its Respect the Water campaign.

Research reveals that 90 per cent of those who die around Britain's coastline are young men and the campaign urges them to share safety advice.

Ross Macleod, RNLI Respect the Water Manager, said: "August is a notoriously busy month on the coast, which draws groups of friends to our amazing beaches to relax and let off steam during the holidays.

"Sadly this also means more young men getting into difficulty in the water or tragically losing their lives."