POLICE have issued repeated warnings about the dangers of swimming in the Manchester Ship Canal as temperatures continue to soar.

Officers have been repeatedly called to the area following reports of young people playing in the water.

A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: "We urge any parents of kids from particularly in the Westy area to give them a call and see where they are as without doubt somebody is going to end up in hospital or worse very soon.

"Don't let your child become a statistic check what they are doing."

In recent weeks there has been a sharp spike in calls to the force by members of the public who are concerned for the welfare of young people taking a dip around Warrington.

Not only could swimmers quickly become out of their depth but cold shock causes an instinctive reaction where they start to gasp and it can become more difficult to swim.

Even strong swimmers are at risk of coming into difficulty.

The spokesman added: “While we are continuing to look into this issue and have increased patrols in the area, we want to take the opportunity to remind people that although it may seem like harmless fun, swimming in lakes, rivers and canals without the supervision of an adult could have tragic consequences.

“Swimming in lakes and rivers is dangerous with unseen hazards.”