Parents are being encouraged to sign their children up for free sea swimming lessons being held in August.

Swim Safe, which teaches children about water safety in the sea, is returning to Tendring this summer with public sessions at Clacton’s Martello Beach between Monday, 7 and Friday, 11 August.

Swim Safe is a joint Swim England and RNLI initiative, with Clacton sessions funded by Tendring District Council (TDC), using the council’s swimming teachers and lifeguards. The council’s support is part of wider education work carried out by the Tendring Water Safety Forum.

Mick Barry, TDC’s cabinet member for leisure and public realm, said the sessions were lots of fun – but could also save lives.

“Swim Safe teaches young children some key skills about going into the sea, such as floating to live, signalling for help, and generally respecting the water,” he said.

“They’re geared for all capabilities, whether the participants are swimmers or not, and we hope through supporting educational initiatives such as this we can help to make our coastline as safe as it can be – recognising the inherent dangers of the sea.

Find and book your Swim Safe session at www.swimsafe.org.uk.