Tendring lived up to its name of the sunshine coast with thousands of people flocking to the sea as temperatures soared.

Chairman of the Clacton Guest House and Hoteliers Association Terry McKean reported a "brisk trade during the weekend as people flocked to the beaches and piers.

He said: "I think people are grabbing a couple of days where they can and as the weather is favourable they're taking advantage of it as and when they can."

But traffic caused a headache, with the main road through Thorpe still only partly passable following the fire at the Bell Hotel on Thursday.

A police spokeswoman said there may have been some traffic congestion but it was usual for this time of year. But there were problems for some people who took to the sea to cool off.

At 3pm on Saturday Andrew Fuller, 17, of Dovercourt got cramp while swimming and pulled himself on to the Low Light, an old lighthouse several hundred yards offshore. Harwich inshore lifeboat was launched to pick him up.

In another incident the same day, a youngster in a rubber ring at Harwich quay had to be pulled in from drifting too far out.

Coastguards were also called to deal with two troublesome inflatables near Clacton.

At 3.50pm yesterday.

Clacton coastguard and beach patrol went to the aid of three people who had drifted out on an inflatable off Holland Haven but by the time. But by the time they arrived the people had made it ashore themselves.

Then at 4.35pm the same crews were called to an inflatable with four people on by Clacton Pier which was slightly deflated. The beach patrol rescued them.

Firemen at Dovercourt were called to help some chickens in distress at a farm in Ramsey on Sunday evening.

They hosed down the chicken shed in Wix Road to help keep the fowl cool.

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