Police and the fire service have warned youngsters to stay off ponds that have iced over.
Extra patrols were sent out to Hammonds Pond in Carlisle yesterday after children were spotted playing on it.
Carlisle East Fire Station said: “Even while we were next to the pond, numerous children were standing on the ice, goading ourselves and the police officers.
“This is extremely dangerous, and the ice is unpredictable and very thin in some places- made harder to see by the thin covering of frost on the ice.
“Please could parents speak to their children and educate them on the extreme dangers of playing on frozen bodies of water.
“Our crew took this as an opportunity to practise our rescue techniques, but we would much rather not have to perform a rescue in real life, as there is a good chance that this would not end in a happy outcome.”
