Parents have been warned not to let their children go unsupervised on the beach after police received “completely avoidable” reports of missing children.
Families flocked to the beach this weekend as temperatures reached 24C in some parts of the UK on Saturday. But a police unit in Lancashire has urged parents to “do this safely”.
Fylde Police said officers have received “several reports of missing children” in the last two days, “which have used a significant amount of police and coastguard resources”.
The unit warned in a social media post that the beach “is a very dangerous place for unsupervised children”, adding: “It is disappointing to see that youngsters are still regularly permitted to approach the water unsupervised.”
It said: “This could prove fatal, even to those who are competent swimmers. You are also risking the lives of the coastguards who would be deployed in a rescue situation.
“These incidents are completely avoidable and have a detrimental impact to the service we offer, as when police officers are looking for lost children, we are unable to deal with or prevent crime.”
The unit urged parents to follow some “basic tips”, including never leaving children unsupervised “especially near the water”, reminding children of the basic principles of stranger danger, and who to approach if they need help.
It added that parents should take a photograph of children at the start of the day “so you have a clear image of each child and their clothing” and asked parents to consider attaching a wristband to each child with a parent’s contact number but no name.
It also said families should discuss a meeting point with all members of the group in the event of any person becoming lost.
