An “idiot dad” has been accused of putting the lives of two children at risk after alarming footage emerged of them being engulfed by giant waves.

The shocking video clip shows the boys almost being swept off a promenade in Folkestone as they ran along the seafront during the height of Storm Ciaran.

Seconds after one wave crashes over their heads, another knocks one of the youngsters off his feet as a man - believed to be their father - jogs behind.

The fallen boy quickly jumps to his feet and heads to nearby steps, laughing, before the trio climb to safety.

They had risked navigating the treacherous stretch as the Met Office warned of the potential risk to “property and life” during a storm that brought 85mph winds to the county.

The video was shared on Facebook by a stunned onlooker with the hashtags “dad of the year” and “almost lost at sea”.

It sparked a furious reaction from residents, with many claiming the man had acted recklessly and put the children’s lives in danger.

Jess Marie Graham said: “How dangerous. As a mum myself I'd never put my kids’ lives at risk like that - it's common sense.

“What if one of those waves took one of those kids? Then what? You'd never forgive yourself for letting that happen and being the reason they could get taken by the sea.

“Not only are you endangering your own life and your kids’ lives but also the people who you call out to rescue you.”

Charlotte Raymont added: “Oh my god, I cannot believe what I have just watched. It could have gone horribly wrong.”

Chris Grinstead said watching the footage made his “blood boil”.

“Why should you get away with putting your kids in extreme danger?” he wrote.

“You clearly need to be reported for your reckless behaviour!”

Rebecca Roberts-Richardson added: “Honestly, down for a bit of fun, but that could have gone completely differently.”

Not everyone criticised the incident though, with Josh Baker defending the man’s actions.

“Devil's advocate, but sounds like the kids were having a great time, albeit dangerous,” he said.

“The kids seemed clued up to duck behind the wall. OK, dad may be a bit far away.

“100% core memory for those kids. Some people are just too wrapped in cotton wool

“Fair play, looks fun. Personally, I'd have had a tight grip on them - to everyone else, leave the parenting of children to the parents instead of going on a witch hunt.”

In nearby Sandgate, in an incident that illustrated what could have happened to the boys, a man and his dog were dragged into the sea by a huge wave.

Fortunately, they were rescued by onlookers and a passing Coastguard team and escaped unscathed.

Elsewhere, a dad-of-five feared he was going to die after being slammed against a sea wall by a huge wave in Dover.

John Bain, 56, had been walking along concrete steps the wrong side of promenade railings when he was struck, and had to be pulled to safety by his son and a friend.

He told KentOnline afterwards: “It was a stupid thing to do. I really made a mistake. I want to live for my children. I would tell others never to do anything like that.”

The RNLI said in the hours appoaching Storm Ciaran it advised people to “exercise extreme caution if visiting the shoreline, especially along exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers”.

“We’ve seen a number of people in perilous situations where the outcome could have been far more serious,” a spokesman said when asked about the close call in Folkestone.

“We know that around 150 people accidently lose their lives in UK and Irish waters each year and slips, trips and falls can be a major factor in these kind of incidents.

“Over half of those who drown each year had no intention of entering the water.

“We would strongly advise anyone wanting to experience extreme weather around the coast to respect the water and watch from a safe distance.”

“If you see someone else in danger in the water call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard. If you have something that floats that they can hold on to, throw it to them.

“Don’t go in the water yourself – too many people drown trying to save others.”