Derbyshire police issue plea to parents after youths found submerging their heads in canal

It comes after they noticed a large group of youths at Potters Lock, near Erewash Valley Cycle Trail, ‘literally submerging their heads in the water’.

Officers from Ilkeston Safer Neighbourhood Team spoke to the youths and attempted to highlight the ‘dangers of swimming in stagnant, polluted, unsanitary water’ but asked parents to ‘reaffirm this’.

A spokesperson said: “If your child comes home wet today it’s probably worth talking to them about the dangers of swimming in canals and unsanitary water.”

The Canal and River Trust says: “In a hot day, it might seem like a great idea to cool down in open water. However, swimming is prohibited in our canals and rivers. There are too many risks that you can't see hidden below the surface. Canal water is untreated water and so may contain pollution, biological or chemical contaminants.”