Lake Wardens have issued a cold water warning following the discovery of one family on an outing on Windermere.

The Lake Wardens, who are employed by Westmorland and Furness Council, urged people to wear appropriate clothing and a correctly fitting buoyancy aid or lifejackets at all times on or near the lake.

A spokesperson for the Lake Wardens said: "Members of our team spoke to a family just a few days ago in an inflatable canoe with two small children - none of them were wearing any form of flotation device - they had in fact chosen to sit on their buoyancy aids rather than wear them and thought they would simply be able to don them after they fell in the lake if they capsized.

"Whilst it is not a legal requirement, we urge all lake users to think about the impact this may have to family and friends if a tragedy such as drowning occurs for the sake of not wearing a personal flotation device."

The effect on the body of entering water 15°C and below is often underestimated, therefore the wardens have urged people to visit the RNLI website to know the risks of cold water shock.