Despite there being strict guidelines in place around swimming or diving into the River Avon in Warwick, the current heatwave has seen incidents of groups of young people jumping off the Charter Bridge and Castle Bridge around St Nicholas Park, risking injury or even drowning, particularly if intoxicated.

Councillor Judith Falp, Portfolio Holder for Health and Community Protection commented:

“Whilst we want local residents to enjoy a range of boating activities on this stretch of water, we also want to ensure that this is done in a safe environment. We would therefore like to remind residents that we care too much for their safety and wellbeing to permit jumping off bridges or river swimming.”  

Councillor Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue and Community Safety, added:

“Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service work diligently to respond to call outs for people who get into trouble in open water. While we will always be here to support our residents, we urge you to follow safety measures that can avoid these incidents entirely and mitigate the possibility of a nice day ending in tragedy.”