ANGLERS have been warned they are risking their lives by going fishing from a breakwater built to protect a Northumberland town from the ravages of the sea.
A group of fishermen were escorted back ashore by a lifeboat crew this week after they were spotted on the massive sea defence structure in the middle of Newbiggin Bay.
The three local men had got onto the breakwater in a small inflatable dinghy and were seen fishing by a passer-by, who raised the alarm with the coastguard.
The Newbiggin-by-the-Sea inshore lifeboat was launched and crew members advised the anglers that they were in danger and should not be on the structure.
The trio made their own way back ashore in their dinghy, where they were spoken to and given advice by coastguard personnel.
Yesterday Richard Martin, RNLI press officer at Newbiggin, said the risks involved meant that no-one should go onto the 200 metre-long breakwater, which was built in the bay four years ago as part of a £10m maritime engineering project.
He said: “The message we are sending out is that people should not go onto the offshore reef at any time, irrespective of the weather or sea conditions, because it is simply too dangerous.
