A MAN was taken to hospital after his car was stranded on a beach in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The incident, which lasted for four hours in freezing weather, began just before midnight on Monday, near to the sailing club at Thurstason.

Wirral Coastguard said they have no facilities to recover vehicles that are stranded and when there is no risk to life they will inform the police who will pass details on to a recovery agency.

The owner of the vehicle attempted to get help to tow the vehicle out of the sand and away from the incoming tide, but a 4x4 also got stranded in the incident.

At 1am Hoylake Coastguard were alerted and attended the scene as there were worries that the car owners were putting themselves at risk.

An hour later the owners found a local farmer who eventually managed to recover the vehicle.

But at approximately 3.20am an ambulance was called after a man in his 20s who was one of the original members of the incident began having chest pains.

He was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital.

A spokesman for Wirral Coastguard said: “If you are at all unsure don’t take your car on to sands, even areas that look safe can bog down vehicles.

“On this occasion health and safety was more important than the car.

“Cars can be replaced, but people can hurt themselves.

“The more sensible approach would have been to leave the recovery until daylight.”