RNLI lifeguards are set to make a return to a number of beaches in Cornwall and Devon from Saturday as patrols begin for the Easter holidays.

Safety cover will be provided on 13 beaches over the two week break March 28 to April 18, with a further five beaches patrolled over the four day Easter bank holiday weekend (3 to 6 April).

The following beaches will be patrolled by RNLI lifeguards from Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April and every weekend in April until the main season starts on Saturday, May 2: Praa Sands, Sennen, Porthmeor, Gwithian, Porthtowan, Perranporth, Harlyn, Polzeath, Widemouth and Summerleaze in Cornwall.

Over the four day Easter weekend, Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April, RNLI lifeguards will be on Hayle Towans, Towan, Watergate and Constantine in Cornwall; and Bantham on the south Devon coast. Fistral beach in Newquay has full time lifeguard cover starting on 28 March right the way through to the end of October with voluntary weekend patrols in November.

The charity urges anybody wishing to make the most of the Easter break to visit a lifeguarded beach.

Steve Instance, senior lifeguard manager, said: ‘Working alongside the respective local authorities and private beach owners the RNLI is delighted to be able to again offer an enhanced lifeguard service on 19 beaches on both the north and south coast of Cornwall and Devon for the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

‘We encourage people heading to the coast over the Easter break to choose to visit beaches with RNLI lifeguard patrols, as the lifeguard team will be on hand to offer safety advice and help people should they get into difficulty.’ Last year over the Easter period, which ran from 5 to 21 April, more than 124,000 people visited RNLI lifeguarded beaches in Cornwall and Devon and the lifeguard teams dealt with 107 incidents and assisted 118 people.

For more information RNLI lifeguard cover visit rnli.org or download the RNLI’s Beach Finder app.