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‘Stay out of the water,’ says West Norfolk beauty spot owner




Bathers ignoring the warning signs at Bawsey Pits. Now the owner has pleaded for them to stay away (3288092)
Bathers ignoring the warning signs at Bawsey Pits. Now the owner has pleaded for them to stay away (3288092)

‘Stay out of the water.’

That’s the message from the owner of a West Norfolk beauty spot where two people drowned in 2013.

Dozens of people have been taking the plunge at Bawsey Pits, near Lynn, as temperatures soar to an expected peak of around 36C today, despite warning signs on view across the site.

The site gates are locked so people have also been causing problems on the B1145 by parking on the grass verges, many receiving tickets from police for breaching the ‘clearway’.

Lynn News reader Wendy Twite wrote in suggesting the pits should be opened to the public after watching families “enjoying themselves children and adults in the water” last weekend.

When she took this picture, she also suggested the new site owner, Stephen Bacon, should open the car park to avoid people facing parking tickets.

But Mr Bacon,who has owned the pits since 2015, explained the pits are currently closed to the public and said people should not be swimming under any circumstances.

He said: “Warning signs across the park state clearly no swimming and we are reminding people on social media that the park remains closed at this time and we are also reminding people of the strict no swimming policy and the dangers associated with it.

“As you know such horrific tragedies occur with deep open water in the sea and inland rivers and lakes such as Stella Kambi and Bonur Musungy who both tragically died in August 2015 at Thorpe Marshes, Norwich.

“We ask that people adhere to the warning signs which include more EU pictorial warning signs on the park and refrain. The signs are there for a reason and we ask people to adhere to the warning signs.”

He added: “The gates remain closed at this time and we are clearly not advertising or advocating visiting. The B1145 is a ‘clearway’ as it is very clearly a dangerous place to park vehicles for all the obvious reasons.

“We cannot reopen the car park until the contractors have completed their works.

“The contractors started the initial phase of clearing undergrowth from the main car park and creating a magnatite car parking area as their first phase in early January 2018 and are due to return to complete it in the coming months.

“Our aspiration is to reopen later this year when initial works are completed.

“I really look forward to the reopening and the wonderful things that the park will offer for all. Very exciting times to come but we need good infrastructure to be in a position to reopen the gates.”

Sixteen-year-old Umar Balogun, who was at the lake with another boy and two care workers drowned in July 2013. Umar disappeared after diving under the surface of the water in the body of the former quarry.

Ryan Pettengell, 41, of King’s Lynn, who had swum out to look for Umar, but got into difficulties, also drowned.



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