EAST Lancashire may have been basking in a glorious heatwave but some sore sunbathers have had to seek hospital treatment as the boiling temperatures prove too hot to handle.

The region hit a high of 28C yesterday, slightly down on a sizzling 30C on Monday, but enough to see barbecue sets, bottled water and suncream fly off the region's supermarket shelves.

At Blackburn Infirmary, a handful of pink patients who had spent too much time in the sun in a bid to get the perfect tan turned up for treatment.

One nurse, who saw three patients at the hospital during her daytime shift said: "There were a few but not as many as usual.

"There's been a lot of publicity about using sun creams and keeping out of the sun -- perhaps the message is getting through."

But in Burnley sunseekers appeared to have paid more heed to health warnings against being in the sun for prolonged periods and making sure they covered their skin with suncream.

The high temperatures also saw people flocking to keep their cool by taking a dip in their local swimming pool.

A spokesman for Waves Water Fun Centre, in Nab Lane, Blackburn, said that they had been busy because of the recent hot spell.

He said: "We are expecting the boom to continue as we see people flocking to the pool to soothe their sunburn."

But a dip isn't always the answer to staying cool unless it is in a properly supervised pool, according to Roger Vincent from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Roger has issued a summer sun warning to swimmers to stay away from any unsupervised open water - including the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the rivers Ribble, Darwen and Calder and the region's many reservoirs.

He said: "This weather seems to tempt people to jump in these sort of waters which are extremely dangerous.

"Even if you are a good swimmer you should not go in as most people who drown are swimmers.

"No matter how tempting the water looks it will be extremely cold, there are currents, rubbish and waste which can cause serious problems."

He also warned parents to be vigilant when it comes to garden ponds and paddling pools as five under five-year-olds around the country have drowned in garden ponds water in the past week.

The temperature is expected to fall as the week goes on but showers are to give way to more sun come the weekend.

Bridget Thornley, part of the events team from Asda Blackburn, said that charcoal, burgers and buns, salads and salad dressings, beer and ice cream had been selling well over the past three days. Bridget said: "When the weather so hot it's fantastic for us. We definitely want it to continue."