Two children were rescued after getting caught in a riptide off the Kent coast.

The youngsters were at Sunny Sands beach in Folkestone when they got into difficulty in the sea, which was at high tide.

Crews from charity Folkestone Rescue, who were taking part in training nearby, were alerted to the incident by the Dover Coastguard and rushed to the scene in two lifeboats.

But before they could arrive, two heroic swimmers managed to get to the children and bring them back to safety.

Scared and shaken, they were taken to hospital.

A spokesman for Folkestone Rescue, an independent lifeguard and lifeboat organisation, said: "On arrival it was discovered that two children who had been swimming off the beach had been caught in a riptide and pulled away from the shore.

"Luckily, some quick-thinking swimmers nearby were able to reach the children and bring them back to the beach shortly before crew arrived on scene.

"Both children were very cold and shaken, so rescue crew provided emergency blankets and medical assistance.

"Due to concern over the children's condition, an ambulance was called and was on scene within minutes.

"After the children were assessed and treated by paramedics, they were then taken to hospital as a precaution."

The incident took place at around 3pm on Saturday.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "I can confirm one ambulance crew attended the scene following a call at approximately 3.20pm on Saturday, August 31 reporting a young person had been rescued from the water."

In a recent separate incident, Folkestone Rescue issued a warning to teenagers about the dangers of tombstoning in the area - which involves jumping from a height into water.

The group said that "not only is this activity against the law, it is also extremely dangerous".

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone