People urged to stay out of the water at a reservoir near Harborough after dozens spotted at the site

People are being urged to stay out of the water at a picturesque reservoir near Harborough after dozens turned up there.

Up to 60 people went along to Saddington Reservoir near Fleckney last week as schools across the district broke up for the week.

Some of them jumped into the water – and the boat compound at the Canal & River Trust site got broken into.

A Canal & River Trust spokesman told the Harborough Mail: “I have had a chat with our area operations manager about Saddington.

“He told me that there were groups of around 50-60 people, mostly young people, at Saddington last week.

“Unfortunately, the boat compound at the reservoir got broken into and there were reports of people getting into the water.

“With kids back in school this week there’s been a big reduction in the people visiting the site.

“But we’ll be keeping a close eye on it over the course of the summer and working with the police and other local partners to take appropriate action if needed,” said the spokesman.

“We don’t want to stop people from enjoying their local waterways – they’re great places to visit on sunny days.

“We just ask them to enjoy them responsibly and stay out of the water.

“While it may look inviting there are hidden dangers under the surface.

“They include extreme temperatures and underwater obstructions as well as some pretty unpleasant diseases that can be found in the water.

“We’d also ask that people treat their local waterways with respect.

“Take your rubbish home with you at the end of the day instead of leaving it for someone else to sort out.”

The Canal & River Trust has spoken out after crowds of up to 200 young people sparked warnings as they gathered at Saddington Reservoir amid a mini-heatwave in June last year.