Measures Outlined To Tackle Saddington Reservoir Issues

Various measures are being considered to prevent a repeat of scenes at Saddington Reservoir last week.

Owners of the beauty spot, the Canal and River Trust, met with Police, Harborough Council and Fire and Rescue service yesterday.

Hundreds gathered there during the hot weather and concerns were expressed at the large numbers of people swimming, which is banned due to the risks below the water.

Measures being considered include:

• Implementing a Public Space Place Protection Order to give Police powers to seize alcohol from people acting anti-socially.
• Restricting access to the site during busy times.
• Putting large floating buoys in the water to warn people of the dangers of swimming.
• Equiping Police cars with ‘throw-lines’ should they be need to rescue anyone.

Pc Steve Winn was at the meeting and told Hfm the Police want to work with the Canal & River Trust going forward:

Some have been jumping into Saddington Reservoir from height

PIC: ANDY CARPENTER

A spokesman for the Canal and River Trust told Hfm:

It was a good meeting and everyone is committed to ensuring that the scenes we saw at the reservoir last week aren’t repeated. Saddington Reservoir is a beautiful place to unwind by the water and, as it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest, it’s great for getting closer to nature so we don’t want to deter people from visiting, we just want them to do so responsibly.

“There are a range of options which we hope will encourage respectful behaviour at the reservoir, make it easier for action to be taken against unlawful activity and ensure that emergency measures are in place should they be needed. We’ll be looking into these options in more detail over the coming weeks.

“Ultimately we’d hope that people can take more personal responsibility and behave more sensibly on site, but the options we’ve discussed today will ensure we’re better equipped should there be a repeat of what we saw last week.”