A Fife firefighter has warned youngsters not to swim in a potentially treacherous quarry.
Graham Arnott, manager at Glenrothes Fire Station, says that those who take to the former opencast site at Kinglassie are dicing with death and should not jeopardise their lives in such dangerous surroundings.
It follows a spate of reports last summer of youngsters camping near and swimming in the water at Westfield.
However, having recently visited the isolated setting, Mr Arnott has warned of the dangers of taking to the water.
“We are frequently called to incidents where residents, particularly children and young people, get into difficulty when swimming in open water,” he said.
“There is no way of knowing what lies beneath the surface.
“The water may look calm, but there may still be strong undercurrents that could pull even a strong swimmer under.
“The water may also feel relatively warm on the surface, but just a few feet below can be icy cold even in the hot weather and can very quickly cause severe cramp and hypothermia.
“Young people often misjudge their swimming ability they may view a river or lake as a tempting means of cooling off during hot weather, but fail to appreciate the harmful effects the cold water can have on their stamina and strength.
Last year a teenager from Burntisland died after disappearing under the water at the Preston Hill Quarry at Inverkeithing.
Councillor Bill Brown said parents could play a crucial role in preventing another tragedy.
He said: “It is good that the fire brigade are aware of the site and have developed routes up to the quarry. But we have to make youngsters aware that some of these pools can be 600 feet deep.”