A WEEK long campaign that aims to highlight the risk of accidental drowning is being supported by the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS).

RBFRS staff will be speaking to residents across the County about the importance of staying safe around water.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Be Water Aware Campaign runs from Monday, April 29 to Sunday, May 5 and aims to highlight the risk of accidental drowning.

According to Fatality statistics from the National Water Safety Forum's Water Incident Database in 2017 a total of 255 people accidentally drowned in the UK and around 50 per cent of these people just happened to be near water.

Dawn Whittaker, NFCC's drowning prevention and water safety lead, Chief Fire Officer, said: "Most people would be shocked to hear that those people who drowned just happened to be taking part in everyday activities near water, like going for a run or walk.

“They are unaware of the risks and are totally unprepared for the scenario of ending up in the water.

“By highlighting this issue and making sure simple safety messages reach them we hope to reduce the number of these needless and preventable deaths."

RBFRS have issued advice to support the campaign including sticking to proper pathways, avoiding walking or running near water and not entering the water if you have had alcohol.