THIS is the moment two people were rescued from the roof of a car after it was cut off by the tide.

The incident happened on Sunday afternoon at Holy Island off the Northumberland coast.

The Audi had been trying to navigate the causeway when its occupants were caught out by the tide.

With the waters rising they were forced to take to the car's roof and await rescue.

A spokesman for Seashouses Inshore Lifeboat, which mounted the rescue, said it took the boat 15 to 20 minutes to arrive on the scene.

The man and woman were taken from the car, transferred to the boat and then taken to the mainland.

He said the area was renowned for its strong tides, adding: "If they had gone into the water they would probably have been swept away."