Porthcawl: Beachgoers at Rest Bay discover unusual bubbling pools as warning issued

Visitors at a popular beach have reported seeing strange "bubbling pools" coming from the sand.

Beachgoers were surprised to find the unusual sights at Rest Bay at the weekend.

One beachgoer spotted strange bubbles coming up from a pool in the sand as he was walking along the beach in Porthcawl.

In a video, bubbles could be seen in a shallow pool a short distance from the tide at Rest Bay which contained extremely cold water, it was claimed.The sand appeared to be sinking sand and people, especially children, were advised to stay away from it should they encounter it on any beach.

Wales is currently enjoying its best period of weather so far this year with temperatures forecast to reach the mid-20s later this week.

Last year, a couple encountered a similar sight in Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire. The woman who spotted it said: “The sand was like sinking sand. I had wellies on and my whole welly went down and could have kept going further if I didn’t pull it out. It was quite scary because the tide was coming in. It could be dangerous if someone got stuck.”It's thought that sinking sand is often caused by an underground spring which groundwater discharges onto the surface. Water moves at different rates though the ground depending on its flow path and the permeability of the geological layers.

Springs occur when water pressure causes a natural flow of groundwater onto the earth’s surface.