Recurring concern

Unreliable coordination of beach safety provision

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First reported 18 Feb 2020•Latest report 31 Jan 2024

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes failures in arrangements coordinating beach safety provision between councils, government bodies, the RNLI, lifeguards and other designated beach-safety responders, including liaison, advance notice of changes affecting beach access, mobilisation planning, responsibility allocation and communication of service arrangements.

Not included

  • Excludes the adequacy or absence of lifeguard coverage itself where no coordination failure is identified.
  • Excludes general public information about beach hazards, warning signage and flags unless the assertion also concerns coordination of beach-safety provision.
  • Excludes physical beach hazards, sea conditions, rip currents and drowning outcomes where no deficient beach-safety coordination arrangement is asserted.
  • Excludes generic inter-agency communication failures without an explicit beach-safety provision context.
Reports
2

Distinct published reports

Individual concerns
3

A report can raise multiple concerns

Date range
2020–2024

First to latest report issue date

Stated actions
1

Described in published responses

Reports over time

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Cabinet Office1
Tendring District Council1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

    AI-generated summary

    Michael Pender and 2 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Michael Pender, Jan Klempar and Paul Mullen drowned at beaches in Cornwall during summer 2020 after entering difficulty in the sea; the beaches would ordinarily have had lifeguards, but none were present at the relevant times following the easing of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The principal concerns were difficulties in recruiting and preparing seasonal lifeguards, lack of advance notice to the RNLI about the relaxation of lockdown, difficulties sourcing PPE, and wider uncertainty about responsibility for beach-safety policy and the provision of lifeguards.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Lack of clear legal duties for beach safety and lifeguard provision

    Wider context from the report

    “In 2016, seven men drowned at Camber Sands in East Sussex. My colleague, HM Senior Coroner Mr Craze, wrote a series of PFDs. This led to the publication by the MCA of previously lacking guidance for landowners and local authorities on how to manage beach safety and is to be welcomed. The MCA also commissioned from DWF a report reviewing legal responsibilities for beach safety that was available in January 2019 but not published until November 2020. It identified a confused and conflicting legal landscape where there was no clear legal duty to provide lifeguards and most owners/occupiers were acting out of social conscience than for any other reason. All stakeholders wanted greater clarity to be introduced. That has not happened and there has been no formal government response to the review. Indeed, it appears as though there is no government department that has responsibility for the area. In a letter from the Secretary of State for Transport, Mr Harper, to me I was informed: Neither the MCA, nor the Department for Transport (DfT), has any wider responsibilities for beach safety policy or legislation. This may provide an explanation for why this concern has remained for so long. As long ago as 2006, a local MP observed that it was a ‘ridiculous anomaly’ that there was more regulation for swimming in a public pool than there was for swimming in the more dangerous environment of the sea, or that there were stricter standards for working on a vessel at sea than there were for members of the public going to the coast. ”

    Source location

    Michael Pender and 2 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 4 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to provide advance notice of changes requiring beach safety mobilisation

    Wider context from the report

    “ii) The lack of advance notice given to the RNLI of government’s intention to relax lockdown and allow people to travel to the beach again. The RNLI anticipated the difficulties developing. It wrote to the Department of Transport and the Prime Minister to make sure the relevant people were aware of the problems. By letter of 24 April 2020, Kelly Tolhurst MP, Minister for Aviation, Maritime & Security informed the RNLI Chief Executive that: ‘Officials will ensure RNLI is notified as far in advance as possible to enable you to mobilise your assets as appropriate.’ That did not happen. The RNLI learned of the decision to relax lockdown at the same time as the general public and was put in an impossible situation of needing to provide lifeguards on beaches the next day. Mr Pender drowned before there were any lifeguards on any beaches. ”

    Source location

    Michael Pender and 2 others · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 3 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Consider beach safety policy, including clarity about landowners’ and occupiers’ duties and departmental responsibility.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I note your concerns in relation to beach safety policy more generally, including the calls for greater clarity for landowners and occupiers on their duties, and the lack of clear departmental responsibility within government. Government is currently considering these issues and we would be happy to provide your office with an update as this progresses.”

    Source location

    Response from Cabinet Office
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2024

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Existing regular communication between DfT, MCA and RNLI addresses advance notice for lifeguard recruitment and training.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “○ On the RNLI receiving advance notice to allow them to recruit and train lifeguards, the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have advised they maintain a strong working relationship with the RNLI with regular communication with the organisation. Government communication is also a subject that was covered in Module 2 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry so we await their recommendations in relation to this;”

    Source location

    Response from Cabinet Office
    Page 2 · response
    Published 12 February 2024

    Open published response

  2. Essex

    AI-generated summary

    Malika Shammas and Haider Ali · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Malika Shammas and Haider Ali got into difficulties while bathing in the sea near a groyne at Clacton-on-Sea on 8 August 2019 and both died. The substantive concerns included inadequate or difficult-to-read signage, limited beach surveillance, and whether greater liaison with the RNLI could improve beach safety.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Insufficient liaison with the RNLI on beach safety

    Wider context from the report

    “6. Perhaps more liaison with the RNLI which provides beach safety measures on some beaches would benefit the council’s efforts to provide beach safety. ”

    Source location

    Malika Shammas and Haider Ali · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report
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Data last updated 7 September 2026