Youngsters are risking their lives

YOUNG people who jump from high bridges and harbour walls into water unsupervised are dicing with death, council bosses have warned.

The Local Government Association, which represents dozens of councils and fire and rescue authorities across the country, has reported a summer holiday surge in the activity known as “tombstoning”.

Statistics show that anyone doing it could kill themselves or end up with life-changing or serious injuries.

Figures suggest it has led to two deaths a year over the past decade.

The LGA is calling on the Government to raise awareness of the dangers of jumping into water and of cold water shock by extending a campaign run by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to schools across the UK.