Two men have died after going into the water at a beach in County Durham to try to help two children who had gotten into difficulty, police said.

Officers were called at about 3.45pm on Sunday after concerns were raised about two youngsters in the water at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool.

Cleveland police said both children were confirmed to be safe, and were taken to hospital to be checked.

The men were brought out of the water and received immediate medical treatment, however, they were both pronounced dead a short time later, the force added.

Officers attended the scene along with RNLI, HM Coastguard and North East ambulance service colleagues.

Supt Glen Ward said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of both the men involved in this tragic incident today.

“Despite the best efforts of emergency services, sadly both men were pronounced dead a short time after being brought out of the sea.

“We are conducting inquiries into the circumstances of what happened today, although the deaths are not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Ward added: “I would like to remind everyone that open water comes with serious risks. We know it is inviting in the hot weather, but we would encourage people to refrain from entering any open water at all. Today we have sadly seen the true tragedy that can happen as a result.

“Please take extra care and enjoy the warm weather as safely as possible.”

There have been a number of water-related deaths in recent days amid the hot weather.

On Friday, Derbyshire constabulary announced the body of an 18-year-old man had been recovered from the water near a weir at the Darley Abbey Mills complex after two teenagers got into difficulty.

Greater Manchester police said an 18-year-old male died at Dovestone Reservoir, Oldham, on Friday.

Water safety experts have previously warned about the dangers of outdoor swimming after a number of drownings in the past two months.

Seven people died in the UK in water-related incidents during the heatwave in June, and 15 in May.

Cold water shock is particularly dangerous when people jump or dive in as it can cause them to gasp before they surface and take water into their lungs.

Scientists have said the recent heatwaves across western Europe are the most severe and widespread ever and were only possible due to the climate crisis driven by fossil fuel burning.

Almost half of Europe’s 850 largest cities endured their worst-ever heat stress last month, a combination of temperature and humidity, researchers found.