Oxfordshire’s fire service has issued a warning after children were spotted walking across an icy pond in Bicester, just days on from the deaths of three boys who plunged into an icy lake in Birmingham.

News broke at the weekend that three boys, aged eight, 10 and 11, were pulled from a lake in Babbs Mill Park, Solihull but later died.

A fourth child, a six-year-old boy, remains in a critical condition in hospital.

READ MORE: Car flipped upside down near Bicester during crash

Following the tragic news, it was reported on social media that a group of children had been spotted in Kingsmere, Bicester walking across a frozen pond with a football.

An image of the lake was shared on Facebook by Jamie Jessett, who runs a voluntary litter picking group in the town, on Monday.

He wrote: “Yesterday noticed few kids walking across the icy pond in Kingsmere, Redcar Rd ..(if you look at this image you can even see the footprints) one of them had football.

“After seeing the news few kids have died in result of this behaviour elsewhere. Thought better share!

“Be safe! Don’t be silly! Stay off icy ponds/lakes!”

After seeing this, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue service issued a warning to the public not to walk across bodies of water covered in ice.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “Although it may appear completely frozen there is no way of telling how thick the ice is, or how deep the water is and with sub-zero temperatures hypothermia can set in quickly.”

The service also issued the following advice:

  • Children should not go on the ice under any circumstances
  • Stay away from the edge of bodies of water as uneven terrain can make slips and falls more likely
  • Whenever possible, stick to well-lit routes away from water
  • Keep dogs on a lead when they're near the ice, and don't throw sticks or toys on to the ice
  • If a pet falls in, do not go on to the ice nor into the water to rescue them, move somewhere where the dog can climb out and call them to you

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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