Teenager's swim ends in tragedy

A TEENAGER has drowned after going swimming with friends in a reservoir.

A search and rescue operation was launched after the 18-year-old was reported missing in Townhead Reservoir, near Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, yesterday. The alarm was raised around 3.40pm after reports that a swimmer had got into difficulty in the reservoir, which is also known as Banton Loch.

Strathclyde Police said its underwater search unit recovered a body around 7.40pm.

A spokeswoman said: "There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a full report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: "A Sea King helicopter was sent from HMS Gannet in Prestwick, and arrived at the scene around 4:15pm to carry out a full search of the surface of the loch, but was stood down around an hour later."

The identity of the teenager had not been released last night.

The reservoir, built to feed the Forth and Clyde Canal, is popular with walkers and anglers.

It lies between the village of Banton and Kilsyth and is near where the Battle of Kilsyth was fought in 1645, between Covenanters and Royalist troops.