Hundreds swim in the sea at Frinton despite warning to stay out

People were back in the water at Frinton in Essex today despite a warning to stay out while officials tried to establish why people were left coughing and stuggling to breathe after swimming there.

A large number of people, including children, we left distressed and needing medical attention on the beaches at Frinton, Walton-on-the-Naze and Clacton.

• Click below to watch our report from Kate Prout

The red flags have been flying but there are plenty still in the sea cooling off and enjoying uncharacteristically good bank holiday weather

Yesterday afternoon something in the water or the air suddenly sparked a crisis

A number of Ambulances arrived along with a hazardous awareness response team to help the coastguard and lifeguards deal with dozens of complaints, mostly among children

Locals say they've never known anything like this along this stretch of coastline but it has happened elsewhere in the country. The symptoms disappearing almost as quickly as they arrived

There are no reports of any long term effects but parents especially will want some answers as to why their children suddenly became ill on a day trip to the beach