Two girls die in pond

Police divers recovered two bodies from the pond

Two young girls have drowned after falling into a pond where they were playing in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.

Humberside police called off a massive search for the girls after two bodies were found early on Thursday morning in Ashbyville Pond near Ravensthorpe steel works.

Police later named the girls as Louise Wood, 12, and Hayleigh Hinton, eight, both from Scunthorpe.

Twelve-year-old Colin Laister, brother to Hayleigh, raised the alarm just after 2120 BST on Wednesday when the girls and seven-year-old Josh Wood, Louise's brother, fell into the deep pond.

Colin managed to pull Josh from the water but lost sight of the girls and ran to a nearby motel where a woman called the emergency services.

Police divers and fire crews with rafts searched the pond and an RAF helicopter with thermal imaging equipment joined the hunt for the girls but the operation was halted when the bodies were discovered shortly before 0100 BST.

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the girls

Council spokesman

A Humberside Police spokesman said the children's relatives were at the pond with officers throughout the search.

The 10ft deep pond, which has dense weed below the surface, is a popular play area for children and the girls went there on their bicycles.

A rope hanging over the pond, used to swing over the water by children, was due to be removed by police on Thursday.

Mark Smith, duty manager of the Anchor pub which is next to the lake, said the community was shocked by the news.

"We were all devastated when we found out what had happened," he said.

Children warned of dangers

A spokesman for North Lincolnshire Council, which owns the land where the two girls died, said a police investigation was now under way on behalf of the coroner.

"This is a terrible tragedy for the whole community and our hearts go out to the families and friends of the girls," he said.

A teenager at a nearby school said he and his friends had been warned by teachers about the dangers of playing in the lake.

David Simpon, 17, said: "The water starts out shallow and then suddenly goes down to about 20-25ft."

"It's very dangerous. I've been told there have been quite a few people hurt here.

"But children still play here on the rope swings and swim in the water, especially in the summer," he said.