TWO men and a dog had to be rescued by RNLI crews tonight after they were cut off by the tide while walking on the North-East coast.

The men, both from Saltburn, raised the alarm just after 3.30pm when they were trapped at Huntcliff near Saltburn.

One of the men managed to dial 999 on a mobile phone and tell the coastguards of their plight, and the two RNLI lifeboats from Redcar were launched to rescue them.

The two men, Yens Barnes and Luke Vyse, together with Mr Vyse's Staffordshire terrier Shelley, were rescued from the cliff bottom by the Redcar inshore lifeboat before being transferred to the Redcar lifeboat.

They were then taken back to the lifeboat station to be treated for the effects of the cold. There were no injuries although the dog had some grazes to her paws, caused by the sharp rocks.

Mr Barnes said: "The ride back to Redcar in the lifeboat was a bit scary - I don't even like roller coasters."

Dave Cocks, from Redcar RNLI, said: "Where the lifeboat picked up the guys is the notorious point at Huntcliff where dozens of people have been rescued over the years.

"The message is always the same - carefully check the tide times and leave plenty of time to get away safely.

"Relying on getting a mobile phone to get a signal at the bottom of the cliffs is always hit-and-miss. If you don't get a signal, the outcome could be tragic."