This is the happy moment a six-year-old girl was reunited with her family after she went missing on a beach.

Dozens of emergency service staff spent hours scouring a beach after the girl was reported lost by her frantic parents.

The family, a Polish couple on holiday, reported their daughter missing at about 2.30pm yesterday at the Berkeley Hotel in Worthing.

They had not seen her for an hour and were worried because she spoke no English.

Staff called the police, who sent 15 officers and a police helicopter to join the search.

The coastguard sent crews from Littlehampton and Shoreham and two workers at Worthing Borough Council's beach office joined the search on quad bikes.

A total of 30 people were involved in the search but still could not find the girl.

Inspector Steve Eldridge said: "We had real concerns for the girl due to the fact she had been missing for two hours and spoke no English."

Firefighters on their way back from an emergency joined the search and at about 3.45pm they spotted the girl swimming in the sea more than a mile from where she had last been seen.

Commander Shaun Lawrence said: "She was by the dry garden. She had been running along the beach but was scared and ran away when we went to pick her up.

Firefighter James Everett said: "We called the police helicopter. When she saw it she realised we were there to help her."

The girl was reunited with her relieved parents and was given a hug before being taken back to the hotel.