The youngster was playing on rocks at Church Point

Lewis Ashley, from Waverley Place in Newbiggin -by-the-Sea, was picked up by a lifeboat crew late on Wednesday, but died in hospital.

Police are investigating the tragedy, in which it is thought the youngster slipped on rocks in sweltering weather.

It has emerged coastguard officials issued a warning to parents two weeks earlier, after a girl had to be rescued from the same area.

Lewis was spotted struggling in the water by a teenage girl who phoned the emergency services shortly before 1800 BST on Wednesday.

The Newbiggin inshore lifeboat was called and the crew pulled the youngster from the water.

But he later died in Wansbeck General Hospital in nearby Ashington.

Newbiggin coastguard station officer Mike Bradley said: "We had an incident just a couple of weeks ago, where a young girl was swept into the sea.

"Luckily she was rescued by a member of the public.

At this stage we are not treating the incident as suspicious Northumbria Police

"We issued a warning about the dangers of the sea here.

"Wednesday was a beautiful day and there were a lot of children playing on the beach and on the rocks.

"Unfortunately this five-year-old lad slipped into the water and there was no-one there to pull him out.

"The lifeboat was on scene within two minutes and a member of the crew was in the water recovering the youngster, who was floating face down.

"He was resuscitated in the boat and again on the beach and taken to hospital."

Caravan park

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said the boy's death was being investigated.

He added: "At this stage we are not treating the incident as suspicious."

Mr Bradley added: "Once you are in the water, there is very little chance of getting out unless someone is there to save you.

"I would urge parents to tell their children about the dangers of the sea.

"This tragedy highlights just how bad it can get."

The area around Church Point, where the tragedy happened, is popular with day-trippers and has a caravan park sited close by.

Mr Bradley said coastguard officers had recently visited local schools to warn of the dangers of youngsters playing in the sea.