A mother has spoken of her terror after two of her teenage sons were swept out to sea.

Deborah Howard, of Ferring, was enjoying Sunday morning at home when she was called by the Coastguard's office in Littlehampton. Her 15-year-old son Ashley had been caught by currents off Ferring beach and then 13-year-old Alex and a friend were caught by the same tide trying to help him.

All three boys lost control at about 12.30pm and were swept along the beach, about 50 metres from the shore near the Bluebird Cafe.

Luckily both Littlehampton's lifeboats were already nearby.

Crews were on a training exercise and spotted the boys struggling in the water.

Crew member Barry Lee said: "If we hadn't been there they could have been in real trouble.

"The cold would have got to them in about 20 minutes."

Ashley was treated at hospital for hypothermia and the other boys were helped by paramedics.

Mrs Howard said: "When I got the call and they said it was the Coastguard I panicked, I just thought 'Oh my God, what's happened?'

"They said the boys were okay but could I bring some blankets down. When I got there they only mentioned two of the boys' names and I saw an ambulance, and that just made me panic more."

She said both boys swam in the sea almost every day and had been told to be careful of the currents but she would drive the message home again.

A doctor who treated them for shock said they should go back into the water yesterday to avoid developing a phobia.

Ashley said: "I was swimming and realised I couldn't swim back, the current was too strong. I was waving to try to get my brother's attention. They were three breakwaters away and had to swim towards me. It was really cold."

Alex, 13, said: "He was getting dragged out so me and my friend went to help him. It was really scary because it's never happened to us before. It's going to make me more scared to go swimming in the sea."