IF CHILDREN don’t stay out of a Whitchurch fishing pool during the summer, then the town could be facing a fatality, according to the association that oversees it.

Barry Hale, chairman of the Queensway Playing Fields Association, has issued the stark warning after four young males – around 11 years old – were seen in the water on multiple occasions on Thursday, July 25.

Mr Hale, who issued a similar appeal during the cold weather last winter, says the peat flooring of the pool at Queensway field is a potential danger should youngsters get their feet trapped.

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And this, he said, could prove deadly to children.

He said: “There is a very overgrown ‘wild area’ where you can’t see what’s going on and what they’re up to unless you’re down the pool.

“There were four young lads who ran off so I said I just wanted to talk to them about the pool and why it’s dangerous.

“Only half the bottom is clay but a lot of it is a peat bottom and if they get in that, then they’re not coming out ever.

“I explained this to them but two started laughing and ran off and two stayed and asked questions.

“We tried again to stop these lads but couldn’t catch them, though we found out their names and I put on Facebook that these lads didn’t want to listen.

“It’s only the first week of the holidays and we can’t have it happening.

“We’ve had messages off the mother of the boys who was very sorry for them messing about and that she would talk to them.

“But we did get criticism for it too – I said to them it’s the only way I can get the message over to them.”

He said the desire to make the children listen to the warnings is because they do not want anyone to get hurt.

Mr Hale added: “So many children come down to play but what we are concerned about is that if they were in the water and there was no-one about to help, we could have a fatality on our hands.

“That is the last thing we want.

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“Children need to stay out of the water, and this is a message to the parents, because there is potential for them to die.

“They were lucky with the part of the water they went in.

“And if an adult comes over to explain that, they’re not being told off but we’re being concerned with their safety.”