Alert after seven drown on French coast

Officials have issued warnings after seven people drowned off the south west cost of France over the weekend.

Tourists are being asked to watch out for very strong currents which claim several lives each year. Two young men, including a 22-year-old from Paris, were taken by the currents on beaches in Gironde which are not observed by lifeguards.

Another man drowned after his boat capsized off Arcachon on Saturday. His five-year-old son was rescued by a witness who found him floating in the water.

A further four people drowned at Les Landes. They were all aged between 31 and 58 and believed to have got in trouble after feeling unwell, reports said.