A TEENAGER had a dramatic escape when he was swept out to sea off Scarborough's Royal Albert Drive by heavy seas.

The 14-year-old boy, who has not been named, was with another boy of the same age. Both were believed to have been dodging the waves, which have been exceptionally high this week, said coastguard Alex Harrison.

Scarborough's inshore lifeboat, which was on an exercise in the North Bay, raced to the scene but the boy managed to scramble to safety.

Mr Harrison said: "Lives have been lost in the past by people doing such foolish things as wave-dodging on the drive. They may think they are swimmers but there is no way anyone can compete with the sea."

It was the latest in a series of rescues carried out on the Scarborough coastline in the past three weeks, caused by people going into the sea in adverse tidal conditions.