A LIFEBELT that could have saved the lives of a mother and her two children was taken by "mindless" vandals days before they drowned in a stormy sea.

Kim Barrett, 33, died after jumping into high waves to try to rescue her son, Luke Greenwood, 11, after he ran down a slipway into the sea at Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Her daughter, Aimee Greenwood, 13, also ran into the waves to try to save her brother, losing her life in the process. Aimee's body has never been recovered.

An inquest yesterday heard that Ms Barrett had been enjoying a Sunday afternoon walk with her children, boyfriend Jason Johnson, 34, and his son, Alec, when tragedy struck.

Surfer Nicholas Beaumont, who was praised by the coroner, Michael Oakley, for his "valiant" attempt to save Aimee, told how there was no lifebelt to help his rescue attempt.

One placed near to the scene days before the accident on March 13 this year had been taken in what Mr Oakley described as "a mindless act of vandalism".

Mr Beaumont told the hearing: "I was with my daughter on Marine Drive, in Scarborough. I recall some kids playing on top of the slipway.

"I recall this big wave crashing up on this boy and I just ran down to the slipway.

"When I got there, there was this girl I now know as Aimee, who was in the water.

"I grabbed her, she was in the water at the bottom of the slipway. I managed to get hold of her and I held on to her for a couple of waves, but I couldn't hold her any more and she was washed out. I held on to the railings and a wave pushed me back on to the slipway.

"I had Aimee for maybe a minute, but it felt like a lot longer. If there had been a lifebelt there it might have given Aimee a bit more of a chance."

Another man, Adam Bailey, ran to get a lifebelt which was about 300 metres away.

But when he got there it was cordoned off because of building work and he had to climb over a 5ft barrier to reach it.

The father-of-two said: "I ran back with the life buoy, but when I got there, a man said to me: 'It's too late, it's just too late'.

"The whole thing took three or four minutes."

The coroner heard that Luke and Alec had run down an open slipway towards the water after Mr Johnson, from Leeds, climbed on to a ledge on the sea side of some railings.

Mr Johnson said a wave, which an eye witnesses said was about 30ft high, had earlier drenched them as they stood on the sea front near the railings and the children had laughed at how wet they were.

He admitted climbing over the railing on to a ledge facing the rough sea four or five feet below the level of the road.

He said he had been "acting the goat", but denied shouting "come on" to the sea.

Luke and Alec ran down the slipway towards the sea. Luke was dragged off by the waves while Alec was stopped by a member of the public.

Ms Barrett, also from Leeds, and her daughter ran down the slipway and Ms Barrett was seen to jump into the sea.

Mr Johnson, who cannot swim, followed them down the slipway.

He said: "I dived in to try to save Luke, he was down below me. When I came up I couldn't see him.

"I can't swim but I didn't think of that. I managed to reach the handrail.

"I remember seeing somebody get hold of Aimee, who was the other side of Luke.

"I could hear my little boy shouting 'Dad, Dad, get out', and I came out to find my little boy.

"I remember hearing Kim, she shouted "I love you."

When asked in the inquest by Ms Barrett's mother, Norma, whether climbing on the railings might have encouraged the children to take a risk, Mr Johnson said: "Yes, that's fair enough."

He denied he exaggerated his account.

Coroner Mr Oakley, who recorded a verdict of accidental death on all three victims, said he would write to Scarborough Borough Council to request a barrier be installed on the slipway.

He said: "It does strike me that the slipway is an invitation to anyone to venture down.

"This terrible tragedy demonstrates that the power of the sea should at no time be under-estimated.

"At times it can be benign, but at others it can be unmerciful."