A dog swept nearly five miles out along the East Kent Coast is lucky to be alive.

That's according to Deal coastguard, who leapt to the rescue after Little Man's owners reported their pet missing at 9.30pm on Friday night.

They had been walking the Staffordshire Bull Terrier north of Deal pier when he was swept into the water.

Strong tides and winds meant the pooch was carried all the way to Sandwich Bay, where coastguard rescue volunteers, who were taking part in a training session, found him.

Little Man was reunited with his owners just after 10pm.

Senior watch manager Peter Legg said: "His owners were understandably over the moon that Little Man was found safe and well.

"He was extremely lucky to have been found and the fact that the Deal team were already out on the water meant they were in the right place at the right time."