Lytham Town Council warns visitors: check the signs, but don't rely on the map
24th of September, 2026
If you are walking along the promenade at Lytham, you will pass a series of Fylde Council warning signs.
They tell you there's no lifeguard, that the tide can cut you off, and that mudflats and quicksand are dangerous.
All of that is correct, and worth reading.
The problem is the map.
Residents have told us that the maps on the signs show St Annes, including its pier, rather than Lytham. Lytham doesn't have a pier. The St Annes pier is around 3.5 miles from the Lytham Jetty, but a visitor who doesn't know the area could easily look at the sign, see a pier on the map, and assume the structures out on the estuary are safe to walk on. They aren't. The estuary edge here is muddy, the sand is soft in places, and the tide comes in fast.
This isn't a theory.
At our Council meeting on 9 September, residents described a family who had to be turned back from a dangerous area near the jetty, and another resident said he had been asked the way to the pier, even though there isn't one.
How this reached us
A resident raised the issue at the Annual Town Meeting on 27 May. Members of the Friends of the Estuary volunteer group, who spend a lot of time on the promenade, have also told us they often have to stop people going onto areas that look safe but are not.
The signs belong to Fylde Council, so that's where we took it.
We carried out a site visit, photographed the signs, and on 21st July wrote to Fylde's Head of Legal asking for the signs to be covered or corrected. Cllr Mark Bamforth, who is also a Fylde Borough Councillor, has raised it with Fylde officers, and we have raised it again since. We're still waiting for the signs to change.
What we're asking for
We're asking Fylde Council to:
- change or cover the map on any sign where it doesn't match the location, and
- add a clear warning about the jetty and the estuary edge. The Lytham Jetty sign already has its own hazard wording, so we know it can be done.
If you see someone in danger
If you see someone in difficulty or in danger on the shore, the mudflats or the estuary edge, call 999 straight away and ask for the Coastguard. Give them as much detail as you can about where you are. Please don't go out onto the mud or into the water to help, as this is how people get into trouble themselves.
Help us make the case
Once everyone is safe, or if you're able to do so from the promenade at a safe distance, photographs really do help.
If you've seen people ignoring the danger, or heading out onto the mud or towards the jetty, please send your photos to clerk@lythamtowncouncil.gov.uk with the date, time and location. It all helps show that this is a real, current risk.
Please only take photos if it is safe to do so, and do not put yourself or anyone else at risk to get them.
You can also report your concerns to Fylde Council directly.
And if you're out on the sea wall this autumn, please stay on the promenade, keep children and dogs close, and check the tide times before you go.
We'll keep pressing on this and will update you when we hear back.
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