A man has died and two men have been taken to hospital following an incident at a north west beach.

On Tuesday July 20 at around 7.10pm, emergency services were called to Crosby beach after receiving reports of three men in their 20s getting into difficulties in the sea.

All three men were rescued and taken to hospital but sadly one man was pronounced dead a short time later.

A spokesperson for Merseyside police said: "A second remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition and a third has been discharged.

"The deceased man’s family have been made aware and are being supported by officers. 

"Enquiries continue and anyone who witnessed the incident and has yet to come forward is asked to contact us via @MerPolCC on Twitter, ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook, or 101, with reference 21000506040."

This is the fifth person to have died in the north west in less than a week after getting into difficulty in open water.

On Saturday 16-year-old Mohammad Abdul Hamid, drowned in the River Eden in Cumbria.

On Monday, police in Greater Manchester confirmed a 19-year-old man had died after swimming in Salford Quays.

It is thought Ngapee Merenga, a talented footballer, had been swimming with friends when he disappeared under the water on Sunday evening.

The body of a 16-year-old boy was also found after he went missing on the River Weaver near Frodsham on Monday.

And on Sunday a body was found on a beach on the Fylde Coast following a major search operation for a missing man.

At around 3.27pm on Saturday police were called after receiving reports that a man in his 20s had entered the water close to Rossall School, Broadway, between Thornton-Cleveleys and Fleetwood.

On Sunday evening they confirmed a body had been found on the beach, believed to be that of a 29-year-old man from Bolton.