Safety warning issued after walkers get stuck in deep mud exploring sunken villages at Ladybower Reservoir near Sheffield

Last weekend Edale Mountain Rescue Team was dispatched to the famous reservoir in the stunning Peak District where they had to pull people to safety from the muddy banks. They were called out after walkers exploring exposed parts of former villages, which were flooded when the reservoirs were created, ran into trouble in the mud.The team also revealed they had several calls over the course of the weekend of people getting into difficulty.

The dry weather over the summer months has left many parts of reservoirs exposed and now with the wet weather this has led to the danger of deep and sticky mud. Now, Yorkshire Water has issued a safety message urging people to remain on public footpaths.

In a warning posted on Facebook, a spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said: “You might've noticed if you've been to our reservoirs recently that the dry weather we had in summer has left some areas of the reservoir that are usually underwater, exposed. There is a danger of deep mud in these areas and we've had incidents this summer when emergency services have attended our sites to rescue people who walked into the deep mud. If you're visiting our reservoirs this half-term, please stick to the public footpaths and don't take any risks by entering the exposed areas of the reservoirs or the water.”

Yorkshire Water have said their reservoirs are regularly checked by engineers to ensure their safety. Although the county is no longer experiencing the intense heat of the summer, the hosepipe ban introduced in August is still in place and Yorkshire is still experiencing the impact of the dry summer. More information on the drought and its impact can be found on the Yorkshire Water website.