Parents warned that children playing in waterways could have tragic consequences

Today and the coming days are likely to be some of the warmest of the year so far with temperatures hitting 30 degrees celsius.

And with some children still off school they are likely to be taking advantage of the weather outside out with friends.

Police have said the last spike in warm weather saw numerous reports of teenagers swimming in waterways such as at Wrightington. And officers have said they have had reports of young people swimming in the Flashes near Poolstock.

They are warning parents to remind their children of the "significant dangers" of swimming in open water.

In a post on Facebook, GMP Wigan said: "Today and the coming days are likely to some of the warmest of the year so far, children are still off school and are likely to be taking advantage of the weather outside out with friends.

"The last spike in warm weather saw numerous reports of teenagers swimming in our local waterways in particular at Wrightington and it has been learned today the Flashes near Poolstock.

"Please remind your teenagers of the significant dangers of swimming in open water so they dont become one of the many tragic victims of drowning each year."

Officers said that one of the dangers can be "cold water shock", which refers to a range of natural reactions that bodies take to protect people when they enter cold water.

Cold water shock is when you enter water that is too cold - below 15C - and your body's instinctive reaction is to fight and gasp for air which can cause water to enter the lungs and the person to drown.

The Royal Life Saving Society UK states on its website: "It is difficult to identify if cold water shock was the cause of a drowning or not but all waters around the UK are cold enough to induce the cold shock effects, even in high summer.

"Over 60 per cent of drownings are of people who have ended up in the water by accident, so they’re normally very close to the edge, but something stops them from being able to get out safely.

"A sudden rise in blood pressure can be fatal for people with a pre-existing heart condition. Each year a number of people who are suspected of drowning, turn out to have had a heart attack.

"Studies show that people’s ability to swim in cold water is much less than their ability in a warm swimming pool. Survivors of drowning have described how the effects of cold water shock made it difficult for them to survive."

It comes after water bosses warned children and older youths have been caught risking their lives by plunging into the icy waters of reservoirs across Lancashire, including at Worthington Lakes in Standish.

United Utilities say they have recorded "dozens of cases of people jumping into reservoirs and refusing to respond to requests to adhere to well-signposted guidance."