Warnings to avoid the notorious 30 foot deep pond at Crookes Valley Park are being ignored by those wanting a dip during the latest spell of hot weather.
Despite Sheffield City Council issuing strict guidelines to avoid the water, people are flocking to the popular swimming spot to cool off.
The attraction isn’t just seeing locals gather at the dangerous water feature, it is believed groups of students are also travelling to the tourist attraction.
Maddy Ogden, 20, a student at the University of Sheffield, said: “I see loads of people jumping in with their mates, especially when it’s really hot and everyone goes together as a group.
“I think some people don’t even realise that you’re not supposed to swim there.
“It’s a really popular area for students to go and spend the day, especially since the pandemic started, so I’m not really surprised that people end up jumping in, especially after you’ve had a few drinks and want a laugh from your mates.”
It’s not just students who are fans of the pond though, as a quick search of Crookes Valley Park on trip advisor brings up glowing praise for the area, including one review titled ‘Perfect for a swim!’
The official guidance from Sheffield City Council is: “There are many risks that mean the lake is not suitable for casual swimming, including water quality and testing, the depth at around 30ft in the centre, unknown objects under the surface, cold water temperatures and very limited views from the main road that could delay reporting of incidents.
“We do not want to give people the false impression that the lake is a safe place to swim. Signage is in place to remind people and our staff do inform users against it, but without a continuous presence on site it is difficult to prevent people entering the water.
“For their own safety, we advise everyone not to swim in the lake. For those who want to swim in the great outdoors take a look on The Outdoor City website for the best local spots to take a dip.”