Coastal Office and patrol service (previously called the Beach Office)
See also:
About the Coastal Office
Our Coastal Office team is on hand to help with a wide range of incidents and events.
Located on Worthing Promenade, our team is actively on patrol and assisting the emergency services, enforcing local byelaws, attending to injured marine life and supporting foreshore conservation.
Each member of the team is also trained in First Aid.
The Coastal Office is not a ‘search and rescue' service, but supports the Coastguard and additional emergency services. The team actively promotes and educates maritime safety on every level along our coastline, with far-reaching foreshore patrols and direct engagement.
For help at sea, please call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
As a public service, the Coastal Office is open and accessible to everyone who uses our coastline.
If you have any questions, please contact our team:
- by emailing coastal.office@adur-worthing.gov.uk
- or calling 01903 238 977
Where is the Coastal Office, and when is it open?
The Coastal Office is situated on the promenade and located between Worthing Pier and the Lido (directly opposite Marks & Spencer's Worthing Food Hall).
The Coastal Office is open seven days a week:
- 1st May to 30th September: 9am to 6pm
- 1st October to 30th April: 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm
However, the Coastal Office will be closed on:
- Monday 25th December (Christmas Day)
- Tuesday 26th December (Boxing Day)
- and Monday 1st January (New Year's Day)
What area does the team cover?
The Coastal Office provides a service along 10.5 miles of coastline, starting at Ferring (Sea Lane) in the west and ending past Widewater Lagoon to the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lancing in the east (additional Shoreham beach coverage, weekends only between late July and early September).
The beach is made up of mainly shingle above high water and sand down to low water, with plentiful rock pools.
Water quality is tested by the Environment Agency.
How does the team patrol the beach?
The team patrols our coastline by quad bike (ATV) or foot during the winter months, where they cover from Ferring to East Worthing.
In the peak summer season, the team, weather permitting, will also deploy their personal watercraft (PWC) to patrol from the water.
The operation is controlled from the Coastal Office. All staff, vessels and vehicles carry VHF radio, mobile phones and a First Aid kit. All of our units can contact the emergency services.
Our base is known as an additional service to the Coastguard and the other emergency services. Environmental reconnaissance is a large element of the team's day-to-day roles, which includes enforcing and advising on byelaws, reporting beach defects, promoting water safety and attending to injured marine life.
The team's fleet consists of one PWC with a rescue board, one patrol kayak and two quad bikes (ATVs).
Other services provided by the Coastal Office
The Coastal Office is home to a number of additional services and attractions, including:
Beach wheelchairs: Worthing is delighted to welcome the introduction of two beach wheelchairs and a single all-terrain rollator to help disabled residents and visitors access the shingle beach. To find out more and hire a piece of equipment, see:
Marine Warriors: A ‘Marine Warrior' backpack includes all the items children need to go rock pooling and explore some of the sea life right on our doorstep. Participants will receive an activity book and certificate to remember their experience. The backpacks are free to hire, but a £30 cash deposit is required to cover the cost of the equipment if any of the parts are lost.
Rockpool Reef: In the reception area of the Coastal Office, visitors can get a closer look at the marine life which is just off our foreshore. Native species of fish and crustaceans are on show in the team's aquarium, which is enjoyed by visitors daily.
Photo: Rob Dove, Senior Coastal Warden, looking into the Rockpool Reef tank
Tide times: see:
Water safety and conservation talks: The Coastal Office offers a range of educational talks to help locals, young or old, understand the importance of water safety and looking after our marine environment. Please contact the Coastal Office for details on how to arrange.
We have created a short video with Kellie from our Coastal Office team to summarise some of the key water safety tips:
Family bands: Here at the Coastal Office you can also pick up a 'family band' free of charge, these are wristbands where you can write the family name and a contact number to place on your child/children so that in the event that they do become lost - it's quicker to be able to reach you saving all parties further stress or worry.
Outside our duties:
- Powers of arrest or dealing with criminal offences, including anti-social behaviour
- Search and Rescue (unless assisting with any emergency service)
- Physical recovery of vessels at sea
- Reporting crimes to the police on behalf of a person or business
- Tourism enquiries - however, visitors looking to find out more about the town can use the Visitor Information Point located outside the Coastal Office (see photo below), see:
Visitor Information Points (Tourist Information Centres)
See also:
01903 238977
Need assistance with this service?
Get in touch:
Page last updated: 08 December 2023