AN elderly man had to be rescued from a Wirral beach after he suffered a suspected heart attack as the tide closed in around him.

The 85-year-old had been walking among a group of nine people on Caldy beach when they became cut off by the tide yesterday at around 10.40am.

Coastguard teams and paramedics were called to the scene where they found the group near some rocks.

A North West Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed that two ambulances, a rapid response car and a hazardous area response team attended the incident.

The man was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital to be treated for heart problems.

However the remaining eight walkers were able to walk back to safety, according to the coastguard.

Watch assistant Brian Flynn said: “A man had become ill and collapsed near some rocks on Caldy beach. He was taken by ambulance to hospital but everyone else was able to be escorted back to shore.

“We would advise everyone to make sure they are walking a safe distance from the shore and that they can always see a route back. We would recommend to people not to go out very far if you are unsure of the area and to be aware of the tide times.”