Death prompts call for lifebelts

Stephen Forrest of Hemlington, Middlesbrough, died on July 16 after trying to swim across Cod Beck Reservoir, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire.

He got into difficulties half way across. His body was found three days later.

Yesterday, an inquest at County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, heard that Mr Forrest had gone to the reservoir for a picnic with his sister, Hazel, fiance Louise Lane, her son and his daughter.

His sister, then 14, had been swimming alongside him, but managed to get back to the shore.

Miss Lane told the hearing that they did not see any signs warning them of the dangers of swimming after entering the site from Sheepwash.

Last August, Darren Dey, 17, from Yarm, near Stockton, died after going swimming in the same reservoir.

Yesterday, coroner Michael Oakley asked Yorkshire Water's health and safety manager, Nicola Kemmery, why there were no lifebelts at the site.

She replied: "We focus on discouraging people from entering the water in the first place.

"There are no lifebelts because of issues of vandalism and the difficulty maintaining them."

Ms Kemmery added that the number of warning signs has been increased from four to nine since Mr Forrest's death.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Oakley said: "I would have expected to have had some lifesaving devices at this reservoir, notwithstanding the difficulty of having these maintained.

"That argument is put up before me time and time again by local councils and I say if they want to ensure the safety of the public, then they must regularly inspect the lifesaving devices."

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said: "Following on from the coroner's comments we will be reviewing our policies and procedures regarding safety at reservoir sites.

"It must be stressed that reservoir safety is an issue we take extremely seriously and each year we issue warnings through the media urging the public not to swim in reservoirs."