Volunteer lifeguards from Tenby's Surf Lifesaving Club provided lifeguard cover on Tenby's award winning Castle Beach over the Easter weekend.

The trial service was devised by the charity to provide members of the public with the opportunity to visit the safety of a lifeguarded beach during what has traditionally become a busy holidaying period.

The operation, which was proposed following a number of rescues attended by club lifesavers over the 2011 Easter holidays, was designed to provide a skeleton service offering basic advice, rescue and first aid skills to the community with the backing of the Surf Lifesaving Association of Wales.

In 2011, the club's volunteer lifesavers were involved in 32 incidents outside of traditional lifeguard hours, dealing with everything from water rescues to first aids, almost all of which happened when members were on the water training.

The organisation's head of lifesaving, Angelo Fecci, said: "The beach is becoming ever more popular during the Easter period; volunteer lifesavers can provide essential assistance to members of the public by providing rapid rescue capability and on the scene preventative and educational measures."

Following the success of the Easter trial, the club is looking into expanding the trial and providing further voluntary patrols in the 2012 season.