AFTER a week of wind and rain a hot and sunny bank holiday Monday saw thousands descend on North Devon's beaches.

Nearly 40 people caught in a dangerous rip current were saved by lifeguards in a mass rescue at Woolacombe Beach.

RNLI lifeguards at Croyde and Woolacombe had an extremely busy Bank Holiday Monday dealing with around 80 incidents as tourists and residents flocked to North Devon to enjoy the warm sunshine and surf conditions.

Up to 40 beach goers had to be rescued at Woolacombe.

Bodyboarders and swimmers were trapped in a sudden rip current which had emerged just as the tide was dropping in the buffer zone between the red and yellow bathing flags and the black and white surf zone.

Lifeguards were quick to react and launched the inshore rescue boat to pick up the bathers first.

At the same time two RNLI lifeguards responded on rescue boards and paddled out to the casualties, acting as floating platforms until the IRB came back to ferry them safely to shore.

Robbie Lamb, RNLI lifeguard supervisor , said: "We had a pretty unstable beach, with the rip currents moving around depending on the state of the tide, but the lifeguards were extremely vigilant and moved the bathing flags in response to the changing conditions.

"As well as the mass rescue, we've probably rescued another 40 people in separate incidents throughout the day.

"Thankfully no one has been in serious trouble or hurt. We also had Annette Deasey and Kevin Turner, volunteers from Woolacombe Surf Life Saving Club, helping the seven lifeguards on duty. They looked after lost children, minor first aids and weaver fish stings, which is a job in itself. We wouldn't have been able to run the service we have today without their help."

The RNLI lifeguards dealt with 35 incidents at Croyde Beach with the majority being bodyboarders and surfers struggling in the rips and big surf.

Vaughan Lawson, RNLI Area lifeguard manager for North Devon, said: "There were easily 6,000 people on the beach and at least 800 in the water at any one time at Croyde.

"Unfortunately the size of the surf, which on some sets was about six foot, made conditions on both beaches challenging and the RNLI lifeguards were working hard all day to maintain safety in the water. As usual we experienced most incidents around low tide on Croyde, as the water moves round the sandbanks to create rip currents, and with the swell the size that it was, this was exacerbated.

"We had four lifeguards on rescue boards patrolling the bathing area during this time."