A four-year-old boy has been rescued from a beach nine miles from where he was playing with his parents on the Spanish coast.

The young lad, named Alejandro, disappeared while looking for shells on a beach in the town of Rota in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.

He was later found on a beach in the town of Chipiona, around 14 kilometres (8.7 miles) away.

The local Police said the boy was looking for shells while enjoying a day on the coast with his family.

A short while later, he was spotted by a beach goer in Chipiona who noticed that the youngster appeared lost and alone.

The beach goer called the police, who had already been contacted by the boy’s worried parents.

After reuniting the boy with his family, police shared images of the incident on social media to warn parents on the importance of using reference points to help young children to get a fix on their position.

The police suggested: “When you arrive at the beach and lay down your towel or umbrella, go with the little one to the shore and turn around with your backs to the sea.

“From there, show them two reference points close to your towel so they know where it is, one to the left and another to the right with the towel in the centre.”

The police said that beach bars, visually striking umbrellas, and yellow buoys in the sea can also serve as useful reference points.