EMERGENCY services have suspended a search for a dog walker swept out to sea after apparently going into the water to resuce his pet.

A major rescue operation swung into action off the Sunderland coast more than six hours ago.

The search will resume at low tide in the morning, likely to be about 10am.

It is understood a man and a woman went into the North Sea at about 4pm, in an effort to retrieve their pet, which had gone into the water.

The Coast Guard, RNLI, police and an RAF search and rescue helicopter responded to the incident on Hendon Beach.

The couple are believed to have entered the water off Commercial Road, in Hendon, after the dog ran into the sea.

The woman was found and taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital, while emergency service have spent several hours trying to locate the missing men.

Those efforts are continuing, with a low water search being carried out.

Shortly after 10.30pm, the Coast Guard confirmed the search had been suspended for the night.

A Coast Guard spokesman earlier said: "The latest is that coast guards are carrying out a low-water search in the area of Hendon beach and the area just to the south.

"If nothing is found, the search will be suspended overnight, with a review in the morning.

"A police helicopter is in the air, and there has been an intensive search by Sunderland RNLI lifeboats."

Eyewitnesses described the sea being choppy at the time the man went missing, but the Coast Guard said the conditions were not a major cause for concern.