Peak District U-turns on warning telling Britons never to enter water following number of heatwave deaths

The Peak District has U-turned on a warning telling Britons not to enter water after a backlash from outdoor enthusiasts.

In a post on Facebook, the national park's authority had told people visiting the Peaks to never enter its waters "unless as part of a supervised event".

However, wild swimmers criticised the policy, saying a "prohibitive" approach did not work and alienated millions who enjoyed open water swimming.

The authority has now deleted the post, replacing it with one that encouraged people to "#FloatToLive".

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Chairman of the Caving Crew, Tim Dobson, told The Times: "The RNLI doesn't tell people to stay out of the sea. They teach 'float to live'. They put up flags. They explain rip currents."

"They accept that people are going to get into the water and they help them do it without dying.

"The fire service doesn't tell people to never light a candle, they sell smoke alarms. Say what you want people to do. Not what you don't want them to do."

The 35-year-old added: "Nobody has ever stopped people from doing something enjoyable by telling them not to do it."

The recent hot weather has attracted many to open water swimming, resulting in at least 11 deaths in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire.

In its original post on social media, the authority said: "Wild Swimming causes issues with safety, private ownership, the impact on wildlife and littering during busy seasons. Swimming is not permitted in any reservoir in the Peak District.

"Many rivers are privately owned, have fishing rights or are designated for the protection of wildlife. Blue-green algae can occur in bodies of water and causes health risks to both humans and animals.

"We advise that you do not enter water at any time in the National Park, unless as part of a supervised, organised event. If you see someone in trouble in the water, call 999."

The Royal Life Saving Society has issued a plea for everyone to "stop and think" before getting into the water in response to the deaths, most of whom were children.

A teenage boy became the 11th person to die in a water-related incident as temperatures remain high during a heatwave.

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