CHILDREN dangerously tombstoning at Ventnor beach so worried the public that multiple calls were made to 999.

HM Coastguard sent Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team to the beach at 1.42pm yesterday (Wednesday).

A spokesperson for the rescue team said: "Paged to multiple 999 calls reporting children tombstoning from the groyne at Ventnor Beach.

"Many thanks to the callers who undoubtedly helped prevent a serious incident by alerting us."

Since 2004 the UK Coastguard has dealt with over 200 tombstoning incidents, with 70 injuries and 20 deaths.

The Coastguard describes tombstoning as jumping or diving from a height into water in a high risk area while unsupervised.

It explains why tombstoning is dangerous:

1. Water depth alters with the tide — the water may be shallower than it seems.

2. Submerged objects like rocks may not be visible — they can cause serious injury if you jump onto them.

3. The shock of cold water may make it difficult to swim.

4. Strong currents can rapidly sweep people away.