Police warn teenagers of dangers of swimming in old quarry in east Leeds

West Yorkshire Police have now warned young people of the dangers present at the Old Brickworks site on Wakefield Road.

The site has been abandoned since 2008, when Swillington Brickworks - which once produced up to 100,000 bricks per day - was closed and mothballed.

There have also been reports of anti-social behaviour at the spot.

The Leeds East policing team wrote on Twitter: "Over the last few days we have had a number of calls about youths causing anti-social behaviour issues and swimming in the water.

"The approaches that the young people are using to get to the water are very steep and it is only a matter of time before someone falls and injures themselves. Like many old commercial sites this is not an appropriate site to be playing in; please don't drop your children off in the area."

Quarries are dangerous for swimmers because of their deep water, steep sides, the remnants of industrial chemicals - some of which are toxic - and the presence of objects beneath the surface that may not be visible but which can pose a hazard. Swimmers can also experience cold water shock, a frequent cause of drownings.

Last weekend several youths had to be rescued from a 'blue lagoon' quarry in Shropshire when they got into difficulty while swimming and could not exit the water.