Urgent warnings issued in light of heavy snowfall in the UK: Here are some you should know about

Police have warned people today not to walk or play on frozen lakes as videos emerge on social media of people skating, playing ice hockey and dancing on the ice.

The announcement comes just a day after three children, aged 8, 10 and 11, died after falling through the ice of a frozen lake in Solihull on Sunday. One other child, aged 6, was left in critical condition, as per the Daily Mail.

TikTok

Since the tragedy, emergency services have been repeatedly warning the public not to walk on frozen lakes but many on social media have ignored the warnings and filmed themselves playing on the ice.

Several videos on TikTok show young people skating and playing on lakes across the country, paying no heed to the potential dangers. Yesterday afternoon, Police in Cheshire issued a warning about youths on a frozen lake, as per the Daily Mail:

WARNING – This afternoon we've had reports of children playing on the lake at Victoria Park, Widnes.

Officers are patrolling the area and we're urging parents to speak to their children about the dangers, particularly following the tragic deaths near Solihull.

Further advice came from Rick Ogden, assistant chief fire officer for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service stating:

Please also keep pets on leads when near frozen water and don't throw objects onto the ice for them to retrieve.

If you see anyone in difficultly please call 999 immediately. Reassure them but don't attempt to rescue them as you could become the next casualty

Staying safe

During this period of heavy snow and ice, the Met Office have also given advice on their website on how to stay safe when travelling:

During snow or ice

• Avoid travel if possible
• If you must drive: Take care around gritters. Don't be tempted to overtake. Slow down - it can take 10 times longer to stop in snowy or icy conditions. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Manoeuvre gently and avoid harsh braking and acceleration. If you start to skid, gently ease off the accelerator and avoid braking. If braking is necessary, pump the brakes don't slam them on. If you get stuck, stay with your car and tie something brightly coloured to your aerial.
• If you go outside wear several layers of clothing and keep dry to prevent loss of body heat.
• Be aware of black ice. It isn't always visible and so can be an even greater hazard for both motorists and pedestrians.

After snow or ice

• Be careful when walking or driving on compacted snow - it may have turned to ice
• Take care when shovelling snow. Cold air makes it harder to work and breathe, which adds some extra strain on the body and can be the cause of heart attacks in the vulnerable

Read more: Heavy snow sparks travel chaos across the UK: Here's all the transport affected

Sources used:

- Daily Mail 'Police warn people not to walk on frozen lakes as 'stupid' TikTokers post videos of themselves skating and playing ICE HOCKEY with some falling through the thin ice'

- Met Office 'Travelling in heavy snow and ice'