West Country (W) beach News

Our reporter Kathy Wardle is in St Ives covering the plans to ban dog walkers from some of the beaches all year round. The consultation is due to end on Friday. You can see her report on The West Country Tonight at 6pm.

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A public consultation on plans to extend a ban on dogs from beaches in St Ives ends this Friday.

On some beaches dogs would be banned for 24 hours a day all year round under the new proposals.

At the moment dogs are allowed on the main beaches before 8am and after 7pm between May and September.

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And some of the country's top professional polo players descended on a beach near Newquay earlier this week.

Watergate Bay's usual surfers stepped aside for the riders, who competed in a special match on the sand. It's the sixth Polo on the Beach event and attracted plenty of spectators.

Here's some video filmed by our cameraman on Tuesday night.

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One of the south west's most spectacular beaches will provide the backdrop for a special polo match tomorrow night.

Beach polo has become increasingly popular and today some of the riders and their ponies taking part in the match dipped their toes and hooves in the water for a practice session. Our Cornwall correspondent Steve Hardy was there.

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The RNLI is warning people of the dangers of the coast after more than twenty people were rescued from one bathing spot in one day.

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RNLI lifeguards at Croyde beach rescued 24 people after bathers and bodyboarders were caught in strong rip currents. The casualties, including children, were dragged away from the beach and unable to make it back to shore in the conditions.

RNLI lifeguards carried out several rescues throughout the day (Tuesday July 24th) as people struggled.

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