CONCERNS have been raised following footage showing a man walking along narrow walls on Milburngate Weir.

The video showing the man, whose identity is not known, walking along Milburngate Weir in the city has been widely shared and viewed on Facebook.

It shows the man balancing on, and walking along, Weir walls which are around a foot wide. In places there is a drop of around six to eight feet into the river, or on to solid concrete.

The footage shows the man jumping across Weir gates, with water flowing beneath him, before falling and almost hitting his head.

The original posting of the video has been viewed more than 57,000 times on the social media site and shared 435 times.

Durham County Council, Durham Constabulary and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have all expressed concern over the footage.

The organisations are three of the founding members of Durham City Safety Group, which was set up in 2015 in response to a number of fatalities in the River Wear.

Jane Robinson, chair of the group and corporate director for adult and health services at the council, said: “It is important to be clear that we cannot say whether this man came to be on the weir walls by accident or deliberately.

“I’m sure 99 per cent of people who have seen the footage will appreciate that rivers are extremely dangerous environments and that weirs are not somewhere anyone should be.

“However, it is worrying that some of those commenting on the video on Facebook say they have deliberately ventured onto the Weir walls or that they view it as some kind of challenge to do so.

“Our message to anyone who might not appreciate the dangers of such an act is simple. The man in the footage falls and almost hits his head. This could have easily resulted in a serious injury. Equally he could have fallen into the water, where there are extremely strong currents, and where tragically people have died.”

Community Safety Manager Glen Stewart, from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue, said “The video is very concerning. Although the river may look calm from the surface, cold water, strong currents and hidden debris make the river extremely dangerous.

“It’s important for anyone who purposely enters the water to understand, not only are they putting themselves in very real danger, they are also endangering the lives of our crews who may need to rescue them and any members of the public who may try to help.

“We want everyone to be able to enjoy the river in Durham City safely and encourage everyone to respect the water, avoid entering the river and stay behind the barriers that have been installed for their safety.”

Durham City Neighbourhood Inspector, Andrea Arthur said: “The river may look beautiful but it is an extremely dangerous place, something which sadly has been highlighted in recent years following a number of tragedies.

“We would urge people to be very careful and think about their actions before entering the river. Obviously, accidents do happen but please don’t let a foolish or deliberate act endanger your own life, the lives of my officers or a member of the public.”

The city safety group was set up to allow organisations to work together to identify and implement measures to reduce risk in Durham.

It has carried out extensive improvements to the riverside area including new barriers, lighting and public rescue equipment.

Additional fencing and public rescue equipment has also been put in beside five weirs in the city.

The group has furthermore produced a map showing the lit routes people are advised to take when walking in Durham after dark.