Youngsters swimming in a Fife quarry are dicing with death, according to Glenrothes West and Kinglassie councillor Bill Brown.
He said the intervention of parents is crucial in averting a potential tragedy at Kinglassie quarry after concerns were raised over teenagers swimming at the site.
Police have issued a plea to parents, urging them to keep their children away from the water after reports were received of youngsters swimming and playing at the remote site.
The warnings come in the wake of a number of serious incidents in water in Scotland this summer.
Mr Brown said he was deeply concerned about youngsters using the quarry as a swimming pool and urged parents to prevent their children from visiting the site.
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“The water could be 100 to 200 metres deep, or even more than that, and the areas around the quarry are made of sand that could easily give way,” he said.
“It seems daft that children are doing this when the council is subsidising them to swim in a safe environment nearby.
“I would just ask parents to be aware of what their children are doing and warn them of the dangers at the quarry.”
Although warning signs are located near the quarry, they have not deterred youngsters from the area, with further evidence suggesting that some are camping overnight and drinking there.
Earlier this month a 14-year-old boy died while swimming in an Edinburgh reservoir.
Bockarie Sonnah’s body was recovered from Torduff Reservoir in Bonaly Country Park after swimming with friends despite warning signs being located around the area.
Scottish Water, which maintains many of Fife’s reservoirs, has repeatedly warned of the dangers of swimming in unsupervised bodies of water.
Mr Brown said Kinglassie quarry’s remote location and lack of access via road are also concerns.
“I just do not know what would happen if there was an accident there,” he said.
“It would be very hard for the emergency services to access the area. The water is very deep and it would be very difficult to get help there.”
A police spokesman said: “We are growing concerned about reports of children swimming in and playing near to the quarry outside Kinglassie,”
“We would urge parents to keep children safe by ensuring they avoid the quarry. Please report any concerns to community police on 101.”