POLICE and safety campaigners urged summer bathers to beware of treacherous river currents yesterday after the death of a 12-year-old North-East Army cadet.

Liam Robinson drowned while playing with friends in a river.

He is believed to have been fishing at the scene shortly before the tragedy.

Police warned parents not to let their children play unsupervised near river banks - no matter how warm the weather.

With temperatures expected to climb even higher this weekend, they fear further tragedies.

The warning came after two deaths in which youngsters got into difficulty.

Liam, from Ferryhill, County Durham, was pronounced dead on arrival at the University Hospital of North Durham, on Wednesday.

And another teenager died within hours of the North-East tragedy while swimming in a lake in Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

Last night, Liam's distraught mother, Nicola, paid tribute to her son.

She said: "Liam was a lively, outgoing young lad, who was keen on the outdoors, and loved fishing and boxing.

"He was also a big fan of Eminem and loved his music. He'll be sadly missed."

A first year pupil at Ferryhill Comprehensive School, Liam lived with his mother and stepfather in Willow Road in the town.

He had a nine-year-old brother, Carl, and seven-year-old sister Terry-Lee.

His natural father is understood to have died several years ago in a road accident.

Police admit they are still baffled as to how the accident happened.

They believe he may have got into difficulties while trying to swim across the river.

Liam was airlifted to hospital by police helicopter after being pulled from the River Wear, near Sunderland Bridge, between Durham and Croxdale, by three men, who were alerted by Liam's friends.

Kevin Williams and two other men responded to the frantic calls and found Liam face down in the water.

They managed to pull him to the bankside where lengthy efforts were made at resuscitation.

Durham Police said: "This illustrates all too clearly the dangers for outdoor swimmers."

Roger Vincent, spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "Our message is, don't go in any river, even if it is a traditional swimming place. This is the first warm summer spell we have had and, in the first few days we have had tragedies despite the warnings. You should not swim unless properly supervised."

He added: "Parents should not even encourage their children to paddle. This is something we dread, year after year."

Croxdale Parish Councillor Mac Williams spoke to two young anglers on the riverbank, a short time before the tragedy. "I stopped and had a bit of crack with them. They seemed nice lads," he said.

"When I got home I heard the rescue helicopter and wondered what was going on, and then I heard about this tragic incident."