Parents not taking water risk seriously

A CITY group which encourages youngsters to swim has warned that holidaymaking parents do not take water safety sufficiently seriously.

Water Babies asked parents in the area about their summer plans, but found that only one in ten considered dangers associated with water as a real risk.

On top of that, the organisation said, only 20 per cent of parents have taught their youngsters how to swim safely.

Hugh Davidson, who runs Water Babies in the Capital, said: "Teaching a child basic water safety and confidence in the water saves lives.

"While it's a huge shame that so many young children across Edinburgh may miss out on fun and health benefits of swimming this summer because their parents lack confidence in the water, the more worrying fact is that drownings will occur that could be easily prevented if children were taught simple swimming skills from an early age."