Salford council is set to spend nearly £34,000 replacing life rings along the Quays with throwlines locked in boxes - because ‘idiots’ keep vandalising them and throwing them in the water unecessarily.
People will only be able to access the new lines by calling 999 and getting a code to unlock the box.
The town hall has been advised to replace its 77 rings with the new system, recommended by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue.
A council report reads: “The rings are not locked in the housing and are open to abuse and vandalism.
"This usually ends with the life ring being thrown into the water, which makes it unusable if required in an emergency.”
Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for environment and community safety, said: “I fully appreciate it takes seconds to make the call to get the equipment and that has been taken into consideration.
“But if the life ring is missing in the first place, because it has been vandalised, then there is no help available for the person in the water.
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"Using the secure cabinets to protect the throw lines means they have a chance.
“It’s a very sad day when we have to consider such measures because of idiots, who either don’t understand the dangers of messing around with life rings or just don’t care, but we can’t carry on like this.”
The number of throwlines will also be reduced to 40.
The move is part of a series of measures to crack down on anti-social behaviour at the Quays this summer.
Extra CCTV cameras monitoring the waters have already been added to council’s control room, which operates 24/7 and is linked directly to Greater Manchester Police.
