A 15-year-old girl has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after getting into difficulty swimming on a Merseyside beach.

Emergency services were called to the beach on Albert Road in Formby at about 15:30 BST on Monday after reports of a concern for the safety of a girl.

Members of the public initially went to help her, Merseyside Police said.

She was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital and the force said inquiries to establish exactly what happened were ongoing.

"We know that Formby beach was exceptionally busy on Bank Holiday Monday but I would appeal for anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information which could assist our enquiries to get in touch as a matter of urgency," Det Ch Insp Alan Nuttall said.

He also thanked the people who helped the girl and her family.

Footage shared online showed emergency crews struggling to get through traffic and past parked cars to reach the incident.

Regarding this, police said: "Our officers and other emergency services need space on the roads to get their vehicles to incidents, so please remember to park responsibly and avoid blocking roads and driveways."

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Emergency vehicles impeded by cars parked near beach

Merseyside Police