Wakefield: Alfie McCraw, 16, died swimming in canal

Alfie McCraw, 16, got into trouble while swimming in Wakefield on Monday

A teenager who died after getting into trouble while swimming in a West Yorkshire canal has been named by police.

Emergency services recovered the body of 16-year-old Alfie McCraw from the Aire and Calder Navigation near South Washlands, in Wakefield, on Monday.

Police said it was an "extremely tragic incident" which led to the loss of "a boy who had just finished his GCSEs."

The force is now reminding people of the dangers of open water swimming.

Supt Nick Smart said Alfie's family is being supported by specially trained officers.

He said the force is working with the Canal & River Trust to highlight the dangers of open water swimming with school pupils before the end of term but said they needed "everyone to help us in spreading this message".

"The weather is forecast to get even hotter over the weekend and into next week, but we would urge people to not be tempted to cool off in open water, unless it is a supervised area intended for swimming," he said.

Emergency crews searched for the teenager on Monday afternoon

Wakefield District Station Commander Jimmy Fitt added: "This is a truly tragic incident and our thoughts go out to all Alfie's loved ones.

"When the warm weather comes around, we do see a spike in the number of people entering water - and this can unfortunately prove fatal.

"Our advice is to not go into any area of water that isn't supervised, as the pull of water, cold water shock and hidden dangers can mean even strong swimmers get into difficulty.

"We need people of all ages to be aware of the risks - we know when it's warm it's tempting to get into the water, but you must only do it in safe designated areas or the consequences can be fatal."

Police sare urging people to be aware of the dangers of open water swimming