Youngsters enjoying the warm weather have been warned not to jump into the water from the harbourside.

The Coastguard issued the warning against 'tombstoning' - jumping into water from a great height - after dissuading several teenagers during low tide on Monday evening.

A spokesman said: "The Ardrossan Coastguard Rescue spoke to a large group of young people on Monday evening who were intending to jump off the harbour side into the water.

"Unbeknown to the young people, it was low tide and jumping into shallow water from that height had a significant risk of injury.

"Regardless of the height or depth of water, tombstoning also brings with it additional risks of cold water shock which can lead to people getting into seriously difficulty in the water as well as the risk of being injured or trapped on items hidden beneath the surface.

"Several of the young persons had also been consuming alcohol which led to a dangerous cocktail of conditions with warm sunny weather with an off shore wind, low tide and persons under the influence of alcohol.

"After giving suitable safety advice to those present, a young female was identified to be heavily under the influence with the team providing immediate casualty care for the female who was being violently sick. 

"The young female was left in the care of our partner agencies and with safety advice given to all persons present, the team stood down and returned to station.

"We would urge all parents to speak to their children regarding the dangers of jumping into the water and the dangers of consuming alcohol, especially in excess, and the additional risks this brings when combined with entering the water.

"We want everyone to enjoy their time at the coast but it’s called tombstoning for a reason – please don’t become a statistic."