A MAJOR investigation was launched today after three boys from a Burnley care home were stranded by the rising tide in a dangerous river estuary.

The inquiry will centre on how the youngsters managed to wander off from carers during a day trip to Southport.

The two 13-year-olds and a 12-year-old, who were all from Moorland View, Manchester Road, Clowbridge, decided to walk the five miles from the pier to Blackpool, late yesterday.

The home is privately run and is governed by the National Care Standards Commission.

It receives children placed by social services departments, including Lancashire.

The county council is currently trying to establish whether it had placed any of the boys at the home.

A spokesman for the Liverpool coastguard said the boys had decided to take the trip across the estuary because one of them had a grandfather who lived in the resort.

He said they had seen the illuminations and decided to walk across the sand but had misjudged the distance across the river.

As they tried to walk and wade three miles across the muddy flats of the River Ribble they became stranded and scrambled on to rocks in the middle.

The two older boys clung to a marker buoy while the 12-year-old swam ashore to Lytham and raised the alarm at a house.

Police scrambled the coastal emergency services and a full-scale search was launched at midnight involving police helicopters from Lancashire and Merseyside and an RAF Sea King, four lifeboats and several coastguard teams.

The pair were found by a lifeboat at around 1am after the crew heard the boys shouting for help.

None of the three boys was thought to be seriously hurt, although they were all taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for checks.

They were back at the care home today where a spokesman said they were safe and well but nobody was available to comment further.

An investigation into how the boys managed to wander off from carers following the day trip to the Pleasureland theme park in Southport has now been launched.

A spokesman for Liverpool Coastguard service, which co-ordinated the search, said the boys had wandered away from carers and added: "These boys were very lucky.

"This is a very treacherous estuary and although it may look innocent enough it is full of dangers like deep water and quicksand.

"The lad who swam back and raised the alarm may well have saved their lives and he managed quite a feat to get back in the dark and across a long stretch of water."