Beachguards in Cork have appealed to motorists to ensure they leave room for emergency services when parking their cars, warning "improperly parked cars can waste valuable time in an emergency”.

Cork County Council’s beachguards said that in recent days the lifeguarded beaches in the county had been particularly busy.

“As a result carparks have become full and traffic-congested,” they said in a post on social media.

They added: “We kindly ask all members of the public to consider that emergency services may need access to the beach and to please bare this in mind when parking your car. Improperly parked cars can waste valuable time in an emergency situation.” 

Cork County Council’s beachguards also appealed to people to drive with extra caution in beach car parks and to be mindful of children and pedestrians.