Four overseas visitors from Belarus had to be rescued after rising tides trapped them at the foot of Beachy Head cliffs last night.

Eastbourne inshore lifeboat was initially called at 6.38pm to recover a body from the beach at the bottom of Beachy Head.

While the volunteer lifeboat crew was en route to Beachy Head, HM coastguard received a call from the survey vessel Wessex Explorer reporting four people cut off by the tide.

The lifeboat was diverted to the trapped group while Eastbourne’s all-weather lifeboat was sent to help with the initial operation.

The walkers were collected from the beach and taken to the all-weather lifeboat.

An RNLI spokesman later thanked the crew of Wessex Explorer for their vigilance saying that without their help these people might well have spent many uncomfortable hours trapped on the beach.