THE Coastguard team which looks after the Weymouth area has just had one of its busiest months in its history.

Wyke Coastguard Rescue Team said it was called out 18 times in June.

Jobs included searches for missing people, the rescue of walkers and climbers on the coast, checking drifting boats, and helping people cut off by the tide or lost on the coastline.

The team, who are on call throughout the day and night, have been in action as lockdown restrictions have eased and more visitors have headed to the seaside.

Often, the team goes on jobs to assist the police or they work with other search and rescue teams from the RNLI and the Coastguard helicopter, as well as firefighters and ambulance services.

Sadly, the team responded to three incidents in June where people lost their lives. This included a man who fell into Weymouth Harbour on June 4, recovering the body of a young man from the sea off Portland on June 17 who had been missing since the end of May after going snorkeling, and a man who went missing while swimming at Man O' War Beach on June 21. His body was found two days later.

June also saw the arrival of the seal in Weymouth and the team has been called out a few times amid concerns for its safety as crowds gather on the beach to watch it.

A spokesman for Wyke Coastguard Rescue Team said: "June saw us called out 18 times, one of the busiest months in the team's recent history. This combined with extra safety patrols meant the 12 of us put in 522 hours of service.

"Please be careful and in the nicest possible way, we hope not to see you. If you do need to see us then dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Take care."