A WOMAN who was stuck in the mud on Burnham-on-Sea beach was saved by the coastguard.

The Burnham Coastguard team were alerted to the incident at 12.48pm on November 16 and were paged to assist a woman who was having difficulty in the mud on Burnham Beach.

The lady had been walking her dog when it had run towards the water and disappeared and she was concerned the dog had become stuck or fallen into the sea.

Milford Haven Ops Room also tasked Burnham Hovercraft Team to assist.

The dog owner was not far off of the main sandy part of the beach but became stuck in the mud.

Once the coastguard arrived she was quickly assisted to safer ground and was safe and well. 

Her dog was later found by a member of the public. 

A spokesman for the Burnham Coastguard said: "The beach surface can change in one step from hard to soft so always stick to the top area of the beach.

"Parts that are ok to walk on today can change with the next tide so please beware, this lady was unlucky to find herself in this predicament but thankfully did the right thing in holding still until help arrived.

"We always advise that if your dog runs off towards the waters edge through the mud do not follow it as it is lighter than you and can travel further without getting stuck.

"In our experience they mostly come back once they finished playing."

If you see anyone in difficulty your nearest beach call 999 and ask for the coastguards.