A lifeboat was called to rescue a swimmer struggling to make it back to shore.

Brighton's volunteer lifeboat crew were paged to their station at Brighton Marina to respond to an emergency call in the water east of Brighton Palace Pier.

Reports were made last to emergency services of a person struggling to return to the beach in the cold Channel water, on Friday.

When crews arrived in an inshore lifeboat, they found the swimmer ashore but suffering from the effects of cold water exposure.

The casualty was handed a blanket from the Shoreham Coastguard Rescue Team and started to make a recovery - but the RNLI is still warning swimmers of the dangers of cold water.

Vicki Linton-Crook, of the RNLI water safety team, said: "As summer ends, the sea can still be deceptively cold, especially if you're not prepared.

 "Even strong swimmers can be caught off guard by cold water shock. We urge everyone to be cautious and to recognise that as the days shorten, so does the warmth in the water."