Warning after 'avoidable' reports of lost children

Police urged adults to "never leave children unsupervised" near water

Police have said they have been called to "completely avoidable" reports of lost children on the Lancashire coast in the past few days.

Lancashire Police's Fylde unit said the warm weather had led to a rise in visitors to nearby beaches but it was "disappointing to see that youngsters are still regularly permitted to approach the water unsupervised".

In a social media post, they said: "This could prove fatal, even to those who are competent swimmers."

Officers added: "In two days, there have been several reports of missing children, which have used a significant amount of police and coastguard resources.

"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."

Wristbands and meeting points

Police urged adults to "never leave children unsupervised, especially near the water".

They also recommended that children should be photographed clearly in their outfits at the start of the day should the images be needed to assist a search.

Officers also advised that children should wear wristbands with a parent's contact number but not the child's name.

"Remind children of the basic principles of stranger danger and who to approach if they need help," they added.

"Discuss a meeting point with all members of the family, in the event of any person becoming lost."