A beach will have no lifeguards this summer due to “significant difficulties” with recruiting.

The RNLI will not be able to operate the lifeguard base at Bexhill for Rother District Council this year.

The Camber Sands lifeguard service will remain unaffected.

While lifeguards will not be stationed at Bexhill, the RNLI said it remains committed to ensuring the safety of visitors to the beach and aims to deploy a face-to-face team to provide safety advice throughout the season.

During the peak summer season, Rother District Council coastal officers and beach patrol will be present along Bexhill seafront offering first aid and sea safety advice, and raising appropriate sea safety flags when weather dictates.

RNLI said it had used targeted local advertising, leafleting campaigns in local and neighbouring towns, recruitment fairs, and online engagement to attract lifeguard candidates but had the significant difficulties in meeting its staffing requirements.

Councillor Hazel Timpe, lead councillor for neighbourhood services, tourism and the joint waste contract at Rother District Council, said: “While we’re obviously disappointed with this outcome, we know that the RNLI has made huge efforts to try to recruit the lifeguards and it is unfortunate that they have not been able to fill these posts.

“Our own council staff will continue to play their part in promoting beach and water safety, and I’m pleased that the RNLI is looking at providing a face-to-face team to give sea safety advice to our residents and visitors when they visit Bexhill seafront.”

The RNLI has emphasised the importance of beach safety and has urged everyone planning to visit the coast this summer to keep the following key safety points in mind:

Swim at a lifeguarded beach, if available.

Call 999 or 112 in an Emergency

Float to Live

Know the risks and what to do

Know your flags

An RNLI spokesman said: “The RNLI regrets any inconvenience caused by not operating a lifeguard base at Bexhill for the 2023 season. The organisation remains dedicated to saving lives at sea and preventing drowning and will continue to explore different routes to address recruitment challenges in the future.”