TWO kayakers who found the treacherous Bristol Channel tides too much of a challenge were rescued by Minehead's volunteer RNLI crew after spending four hours stranded at the foot of cliffs.

The men, one from Porlock, the other from Taunton and both in their 40s, had set out from Porlock Weir soon after midday on Saturday to paddle along the Exmoor coast.

But they ran into trouble when they tried to head back. The tide was running against them, there was an onshore breeze and the men found it impossible to combat the vicious currents around Hurlestone Point and reach the relatively calmer waters of Porlock Bay.

In the end they turned back and beached their craft on Selworthy Sands, which are only exposed at low tide.

When they failed to arrive at Porlock Weir at the expected time, their families raised the alarm and the crew of a fishing boat also informed coastguards they had seen the men ashore.

Minehead's Atlantic 85 lifeboat was launched and within half an hour its crew had taken the men off the beach and returned them to Porlock Weir.

Lifeboat spokesman Phil Horne said the men had been well prepared for their trip.

"They were wearing all the right kit but they just failed to appreciate what a difficult bit of coastline that can be at almost any state of the tide," he said.

"In those circumstances they did exactly the right thing in going ashore and waiting for help to arrive or the tide to turn, rather than risk exhausting themselves paddling against the current."