HAMBLETON District Council is continuing its campaign to keep families safe around water by supporting Drowning Prevention Week.

Last month the authority’s water safety campaign saw messages on how to stay safe in paddling pools, at the coast and in rivers and becks posted on its social media accounts.

Due to the ongoing impact of coronavirus, personal water safety is more important than ever before in saving lives.

The UK’s Drowning Prevention Charity, the Royal Life Saving Society UK, fears that families will flock to beaches and inland water locations this summer, without considering the potential dangers - putting themselves and others at risk.

The charity hopes that through the current campaign, the UK and Ireland will see a reduction in the statistics that see approximately 700 people die by drowning every year.

Many more suffer injury, sometimes life changing, following a water related incident.

Hambleton District Council wants to play its part in trying to reduce this figure and Cllr Bridget Fortune said: “It is so important to remind people to stay safe and take personal responsibility near water, especially during these unprecedented times and with the closure of the district council’s leisure centres due to the coronavirus pandemic."