A charity has issued a warning after a van became well and truly stuck in the mud in a Kent harbour.

The Mercedes people carrier drove onto Folkestone Harbour at low tide to retrieve a jet ski - but both the van and the trailer got bogged down in the thick mud.

The owners made several attempts to get the car out, but the wheels just got further wedged in the soft ground.

Teams from both Folkestone Rescue, an independent charitable trust that provides lifeguards and lifeboats at Folkestone, and Folkestone Coastguard were called to the scene on Sunday to offer assistance.

In the end, a helpful driver of a 4x4 rescued the van by providing a tow.

A spokesman for Folkestone Rescue said: "Although outside of our operating hours, a representative from Folkestone Rescue attended to provide assistance and ensure everyone’s safety.

"Officials from Folkestone Coastguard and the Folkestone Harbour Company were also in attendance.

"On arrival it was discovered that a member of public had driven a Mercedes people carrier across the beach and into the harbour, in an apparent attempt to retrieve a Jet Ski.

"The people carrier had become stuck fast in the harbour mud, and the tide was beginning to come in.

"Luckily, a local 4×4 owner came to the rescue and the vehicle was retrieved with a tow rope."

But the charity has also issued a warning, advising drivers that road vehicles are at risk of getting trapped if driven onto beaches.

The spokesman continued: "Road vehicles are unsuitable for use on the beach and in the harbour, and anyone attempting to take a vehicle down the slipways is at very high risk of becoming stuck in mud and sand.

"We also recommend that no-one attempt to enter Folkestone Harbour on foot, as the thick mud has been known to trap people, putting them at risk from the rising tide."

But the drivers on Sunday were not the first to fall victim on Kent's beaches.

In May, two brothers who wanted to get a selfie with their car on the beach at Dymchurch were left feeling red-faced when their BMW had to be towed after getting stuck in the sand.

A Fiat 500 also become wedged at Sunny Sands in Folkestone after the driver took a wrong turn down a ramp towards the sea.

And the team behind a fashion shoot on Dungeness ran into trouble when their van became wedged in the shingle for four hours.

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