A lot of people have admired the restoration of the iconic Coate Water diving board since it was revealed, but some have perhaps admired it a little too closely.
Video taken during the most recent heatwave has surfaced showing two men escaping the 33C temperatures by climbing on top of the newly painted Listed structure and jumping off of it into the popular country park's lake.
This behaviour has since been condemned by members of the public who witnessed the activity, labelling it as both disrespectful and reckless.
The Council has also responded to the footage urging people not to follow in their footsteps because of the dangers presented by diving into the water, which they say is of 'really poor quality.'
A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “The heat can sometimes make people do daft things, but I think we can safely say this goes under the category of stupid and reckless.
“These individuals may have got more than just publicity from their irresponsible antics as they ran the risk of contracting Weil’s disease from rat urine, not to mention the stomach and digestion problems that could be caused by swallowing the water, which is of really poor quality.
“Despite the sweltering heatwave, the water temperature in the lake is also very low increases the risk of cold-incapacitation and drowning, while it is not inconceivable that the silt and weeds at the bottom of the lake could pose a hazard for anyone diving into the bottom.
“We would remind people to admire the Coate Water diving board from the surrounding path no matter how tempting it is to put on a pair of trunks.
"Coate Water is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and visitors should not disturb the local wildlife and nesting birds as it contravenes the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.”
Swindon Borough Council announced that the work, believed to have cost somewhere between £100,000 and £120,000, was completed on August 5.
The refurbishment of the diving board was supposed to take 12 weeks, but the contractors working on it were able to finish three weeks ahead of schedule.
The work included a full clean, the diving board itself was been repainted, handrails were installed and the flag pole, which sits atop the Listed structure, has been replaced.
A member of the public who saw the diving said: "All that money spent on the diving board at Coate Water and typical Swindon people are going to wreck it."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel