Families have been flocking to the beach during the recent warm weather
Police have issued a warning to parents after a number of children were reported missing on the beach with families flocking to the area to enjoy the recent weather.
Many families have been travelling to the beach on the Fylde coast, including Blackpool.
However, in the last two days alone, officers have been tasked with ‘several reports of missing children’, Lancashire Police said.
The force said a ‘significant amount’ of police and coastguard resources were called out to assist search for the children in ‘avoidable’ incidents – meaning responding officers were unable to deal with other crime.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
A post shared by Fylde Police said: “Now the warm weather is here we have noticed an increase in visitors and families enjoying the beach.
“Whilst this is lovely to see, we want families to do this safely.
“The beach is a very dangerous place for unsupervised children, and it is disappointing to see that youngsters are still regularly permitted to approach the water unsupervised.
“This could prove fatal, even to those who are competent swimmers.
“You are also risking the lives of the coastguards who would be deployed in a rescue situation.
“In 2 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.”
Sharing important advice to parents, the force said:
– Never leave children unsupervised, especially near the water. Remind children of the basic principles of stranger danger, and who to approach if they need help.
-Take a photograph of children at the start of the day, so you have a clear image of each child and their clothing.
-Consider attaching a wrist band to each child with a parent’s contact number, DO NOT add the child’s name.
-Discuss a meeting point with all members of the family, in the event of any person becoming lost.
