Miracle Godson, 14, drowned after jumping into quarry

Miracle Godson was a talented young rugby player

A teenage boy who could not swim drowned after jumping into a flooded quarry, an inquest heard.

Miracle Godson had gone to the East Quarry at Appley Bridge, near Wigan, with friends last April.

While the 14-year-old was a talented rugby player, Godson Anumba told the inquest at Fulwood, near Preston, that his son had never learned to swim.

Miracle's body was found 17m below the surface. Coroner Sian Jones concluded that his death was due to misadventure.

The teenager's friends told Lancashire Police he had jumped into the water and did not surface.

They said they tried to help but the water was too cold.

'Magnet for young'

On the day he died Miracle said he was meeting some friends but did not say where he was going.

The hearing was told that the quarry had become a magnet for young people over the years, despite exhaustive efforts to keep them away.

The site is surrounded by a 2m fence topped with barbed wire.

Floral tributes were left close to the quarry in Appley Bridge

There are numerous signs warning people not to swim in the water, which is up to 25m (82ft) deep in places.

Owner Wendy Scott said she and her husband had made great efforts to keep people out of the site.

They had considered filling the quarry in, but that would have taken up to eight years to complete with 100 lorry loads trundling through the village of Appley Bridge every day.

Mrs Scott said she and her husband had been threatened on occasions when telling people to leave the site.

She said: "I have had stones thrown at me - I've been spat at and threatened."

Extra fencing

She said they had worked closely with the police over the years, but some of those visiting the site were not deterred by the sight of a police car.

A boy drowned at the quarry in 1999. Following that she said extra fencing had been installed.

Mrs Scott said on occasions people had pulled out sections of fencing by attaching chains to cars.

They had also dug holes to crawl under the fence and used car jacks to force the bars apart.