MINEHEAD’S sea safety warning system is to be upgraded after claims that holidaymakers were being put at risk by inadequate precautions on its beach.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has agreed to upgrade the system by flying orange windsocks from its flagpoles.

They will replace the red flags which caused controversy earlier this year when they failed to warn against bad conditions then later caused confusion among holidaymakers when they started being flown permanently from the flagpoles on the seafront.

After taking up the matter with the council, local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said this week he has been told by the authority’s chief executive James Hassett that the flagpoles will now be fitted with orange windsocks.

There will also be signs warning against entering the water when the windsocks are pointing seawards, making conditions dangerous for swimming or using inflatables because an offshore wind is blowing.

Minehead lifeboat officials raised concerns about the old system of red warning flags in early June after two young girls had to be rescued by ta lifeboat crew after being blown more than half a mile out to sea on a large inflatable swan.

There was an offshore breeze but no warning flags had been hoisted.

And the continuing danger posed by offshore winds was underlined last Thursday when Minehead’s D-class boat was launched to intercept a large inflatable turtle that had been carried more than half a mile from the beach on a south-easterly wind.

Cllr Benet Allen, deputy of leader of Somerset West and Taunton Council, told the Free Press: “A red flag would make the beach appear permanently closed, so windsocks are often used on coastlines like ours where the wind direction can change frequently.”

For the full report buy today’s Free Press.