Firefighters have issued an urgent warning over children daring each-other to walk on frozen water.
As many parts of the UK reach sub-zero temperatures, ponds and lakes are freezing over.
Firefighters in Carlisle say they are concerned over reports of young children daring each other to walk on frozen water.
They say that it is “an accident waiting to happen.”
This is because ice that looks thick enough to walk-on may be thinner than it looks.
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Consequently, this could cause a child to fall through into the freezing water.
The fire service urges parents to have a talk with their children about the dangers of walking on ice.
A spokesperson for Carlisle Fire Service said: “We have become aware that some children in the city area are ‘daring eachother’ to walk on frozen bodies of water.
“This is extremely dangerous, and an accident waiting to happen.
“The ice may look thick enough to walk on, but there are always thinner areas, and if you fall through the ice and into the freezing water, it is extremely difficult to get back out.
“If you see someone in distress in the water, please call 999 and ask for the Fire Service immediately.
“Our crew will be visiting Hammonds Pond today, to speak to children in the local area, and put up some signage as a temporary measure.
“If you work in a School in the local area, please talk to your children about the dangers of this, and if you are a parent or guardian, please speak to your little ones about this tonight.”
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