A school of ten dolphins were among a crowd of sunseekers who flocked to the North Sea coastline yesterday to enjoy the scorching temperatures.

Diving, circling, and leaping out of the waves, the unlikely visitors delighted the crowds as they frolicked off the coast in Sunderland.

The podd of bottlenose mammals were spotted 200 yards off Seaburn's Parson's Point and their agile antics captivated hundreds of bathers. It is thought the dolphins were following a shoal of fish into the coast when they were spotted.

Ashley Curle, the city's water safety officer, said: "I have been here for four years and it's the first time I have seen them around for such a long time, jumping around and enjoying themselves well within our swim zone.

"They don't usually come so far in, but the water quality this year has been excellent, which has obviously helped."

Lifeguard Simon Athey, 24, said: "A couple of us swam out to take a closer look and we got within about 20 yards. There were a few young ones and the rest seemed to be adults. One jumped right out of the water a good 6ft above the waves - it was amazing. You don't often get to see such sights in Sunderland."