A beach car park has closed after holidaymakers have ‘ignored safety advice’, leading to numerous coastguard call-outs.

Sedgemoor District Council has shut Berrow Beach car park for one day today (Thursday).

This comes after a spate of vehicles have got stuck in mud and swamped by incoming tides over the past few weeks.

The authority says on a typical summers’ day, there are up to 250-300 cars parked on the sand, which will have to find alternative parking.

The council apologises for the inconvenience but says it does not have a trained and experienced member of staff available to oversee parking today.

A spokesman for the council said it is a ‘skilled and complex role’ which needs someone with detailed knowledge of the conditions, tides and danger spots on the beach, as well as helping holidaymakers, liaising with the coastguard and the other emergency services.