Greater education of the risk of being around rivers and waterways is needed

The voice of Jayne Reynolds needs to be heard, following the tragic death of her niece in York, just over a year ago. Credit to Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, for presenting a petition to Parliament to improve river safety.

Leah Bedford, 16, died after entering the River Ouse on September 20 last year. She was last seen on CCTV close to the water on Lendal Bridge but after that there was no sighting of her.

The family remains in the dark as to what happened to the 16-year-old as there were no CCTV cameras along parts of the river.

After Leah’s death, the family walked along the riverbank and noticed groups of teenagers drinking alcohol with friends, came across people with mental health challenges and others unstable on their feet.

There needs to be a wider education campaign when it comes to safety around water.

For an island nation, we simply do not do enough to teach people about the dangers associated with water whether inland or on the coast.

In days gone by, children would have been seen playing near rivers. But that is a less common sight and if anything that only heightens the risks that people face when they do interact with waterways.

It is also evident that more needs to be done when it comes to the mental health crisis that is impacting the nation. A joint up approach that goes beyond river safety is needed to ensure lives are not lost.

Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration with this is the issue of water quality. Pollution of our waterways has rightly horrified the public and water companies need to get their act together quickly.