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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Abigail Nicholson

Terrifying video shows ten people sliding on icy Sefton Park lake

Onlookers watched in shock as a group of ten people were spotted sliding over the frozen lake in the middle of Sefton Park.

The footage was captured by Nick Robinson, 49, from Cressington, on Wednesday, December 14 at around 4pm, when he met with a group of friends at The Boathouse Kiosk for a drink. He said he was "astounded" that ten people, some of who were adults, were "risking their lives" on the lake.

The footage shows the group of men and women walking and sliding on the ice. One of the men was playing with a football while two women were also seen dancing.

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Nick said: "All I could think is there's no way these people have not seen the story about those little boys in Solihull and I was astounded. One woman went on the ice, and then like lemons, the rest of them followed until there were ten of them on the ice.

"A woman who was jogging past shouted at them to get off the ice, but they didn't listen. They were on the ice for between 15 and 20 minutes and then two wardens came and shouted at them to get off the ice.

"They all started shouting abuse and one of the women, who was in her late 20s to early 30s screamed 'who do you think you're talking to, we're old enough to make our own decisions'. The wardens gave them a telling off and then they eventually came off the ice but the abuse continued.

"At one point they were getting really close to the darker section of the ice, where it's thinner."

Ten people were seen sliding on the ice over the pond in Sefton Park (Submitted)

The footage came in the same week as four boys, including two brothers and a cousin, died after falling through an icy lake in Solihull. The boys involved were brothers Finlay, eight, and Samuel Butler, six and their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, as well as ten-year-old Jack Johnson.

Nick said: "When I saw the reporter break down on the TV, that was such a hard hitting moment. Those little boys have presents under the tree that will never be opened now.

"I don't think they [the people on the ice] understand it's not just their lives it would affect if anything happened, it would also be their families."

Earlier in the day another photographer captured a man walking over the middle lake in Sefton Park on his own. Liverpool City Council have slammed the group on the lake calling them "thick" for "putting their lives at risk".

A spokesperson said: “The ice may look thick on this lake, but these adults are even thicker to think it's ok walk on it. Given what we all saw tragically unfold at Solihull at the weekend it’s with great sadness to see people put their lives at risk in this way.

"The fact they were asked to get off it and were dismissive and abusive makes the matter even worse. Signs have been erected warning of the dangers at all our parks and lakes and we would implore anyone not to go anywhere near an iced over body of water.

"Better to admire the beauty and wonder of these frosty landscapes, rather than be a victim of their deadly trap.”

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