Warning issued to parents after Hedge End schoolboys seen walking on frozen pond

A school in Southampton has issued a warning to parents after receiving reports of students walking on a frozen pond.

Wildern School in Hedge End said several students had reportedly been spotted walking on the pond by Wildern Lane and Tamarisk Road at around 3:15pm on Monday - the day after three boys died when they fell into a frozen lake in Solihull.

Posting on its social media sites, a spokesperson for the school said: "Please can we ask you, especially following the sad news from Solihull today that you remind your child of the dangers of doing this.

"We believe the students were boys in Years 7 or 8 and they didn't seem to understand why so many members of the public were concerned for their safety.

"We will be reminding all students at school tomorrow also of the risks."

Hampshire Fire and Rescue has also issued their own safety warning during the freezing weather, urging people to be aware of the dangers.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "With the recent shockingly sad news of the children in Solihull we would like to remind people of the extreme danger of playing near or attempting to walk on frozen ponds, lakes, canals or rivers.

"Please don’t take unnecessary risks by venturing on frozen water, stay off the ice and keep pets on a lead."

Three boys aged 11, 10 and eight had died after falling into the lake in Solihull on Sunday.

The three boys were taken to  Birmingham Children's Hospital after being pulled from the water but could not be saved.

A fourth boy, aged six, remains in a critical condition in hospital.