Coastguards warn dog owners to keep pets on leads at holiday hotspots

Britons visiting the seaside this summer have been warned to keep their dogs on leads at beaches and near clifftops following a series of rescues over the last month.

A terrier dog named Rebel had a miracle escape in Dorset when he fell off a 100ft cliff, landed in the sea and then walked a mile to a beach to be rescued on Wednesday.

Tuesday a French bulldog was rescued by two paddleboarders after she became stranded on a sandbank 328ft out to sea in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

And a dog called Peppa was rescued from the side of a huge cliff on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, North Wales - 12 days after its owners reported it missing.

Coastguards said they had issued 'stern safety advice regarding keeping dogs on leads around cliffs', adding: 'We would urge the public to heed these warnings.'

TV vet and author Pete Wedderburn also advised in investing in training leads. They can be around 5m long and give dogs both freedom and security.

Mr Wedderburn also advised treating dogs like toddlers and keeping them close and under strict control - especially if it's a new area.

He said: 'Although they do seem more able and they can run fast and far and they are physically more adept than a human toddler, their mind is like the mind of a toddler. You should protect them just like you should protect a toddler.

'If you are anywhere near anything hazardous, you have to keep them close to you and under strict control, especially if its a new area.'

There was also an incident on Humberston Fitties beach in Cleethorpes, where a terrified French Bulldog, believed to be called Bubbles, was rescued after she was cut off by the tide.

The coastguard was alerted to the incident but asked two paddleboarders if they could reach the pet as the tide was 'flooding in rapidly.'

HM Coastguard Cleethorpes said it was 'too far' for their team to reach Bubbles safely.

The pair of paddleboarders, whose identities are unknown, quickly made their way out to the pooch and successfully rescued her.

They brought Bubbles back to the beach and she was later reunited with her owner.