A distressed woman had to be rescued after being spotted in the sea.

The coastguard were alerted after the woman was seen to be in distress by a passerby off Westbrook Bay to the west of Margate.

Margate’s RNLI inshore lifeboat was sent, along with the coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd Airport and local coastguard rescue team.

Police and ambulance crews were also called to the drama yesterday afternoon.

The woman was pulled into the lifeboat and treated by the volunteer crew.

She was then handed into the care of the ambulance crew, but her current condition is not known.