Fire service issues warning after person seen walking on frozen canal in Northampton

People were seen walking on a frozen canal in Northampton. This has sparked firefighters to issue a warning. Photo: NFRS.

Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS) has issued a warning after people were seen walking on a frozen canal in Northampton.

An image has been circulated on social media today (Friday January 19) of one person on the frozen water of the Grand Union Canal, off Towcester Road, as two others looked on.

This sparked NFRS to issue a warning about the dangers of walking on frozen water.

NFRS took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: “A frozen lake or waterway may look safe but you can’t tell whether the ice is thick enough to hold your weight.

"If you do see a person or animal in difficulty do not try to rescue them yourself as you could end up in trouble as well. Instead call 999.”

Milder climates will return over the weekend, alongside strong winds, for which a weather warning is in place.