A LIFESAVING charity is urging people to take care on the water this spring.

The RNLI launched lifeboats in the north of England more than 1,000 times, with the Barrow Lifeboat Station called to 16 incidents.

The figure was the second highest in the county, two behind Workington, but was a fall since the year before.

John Falvey, RNLI's operations manager at Barrow, said: "Generally there has been an increase throughout the country but we've seen a drop in this area.

"That could be down to the weather or people not taking to the sea for whatever reason, but there were around 30 callouts the year before and that's down to 16."

In total, lifeboats in west Cumbria were called out 33 times in 2016. Now figures show an increase of more than eight per cent in lifeboat launches in the north of the country, from 954 in 2015 to 1,032 last year.

The charity's lifeguards also saw an increase in the incidents they attended, with 2,398 incidents in 2016 compared to 2,065 in 2015 on the 38 beaches patrolled in the north of the country.

Darren Lewis, RNLI lifesaving manager, urged people to learn the skills and knowledge needed, before taking to the water.

He said: “Our charity promotes safety messages all year round via interactive campaigns such as Respect the Water and Hit the Surf. Through these initiatives we have equipped thousands of people with invaluable lifesaving tips.

“A little preparation beforehand and knowing what to do if you do get into trouble can sometimes mean the difference between life and death."

Mr Falvey said: "We set ourselves a goal for reducing preventable drownings by 50 per cent by 2024.

"We're trying to educate people. We're talking to schools and speaking to groups in the hope that will go a long way to preventing drownings.

"We encourage people to let someone know where you are going and when you're expected to return, and make sure you know the times of the tides."