Calls for national safety campaign a week on from Shoreham deaths
A family lost their lives after getting into difficulty in the water last Tuesday
There are calls for a national water safety campaign - a week after a family died after getting into difficulty in the sea in Shoreham.
Sara El-Khawas, 14, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, died on Tuesday after being pulled from the sea, while 6-year-old Saja El-Khawas passed away in hospital days later.
Sussex Police indicated that the incident appears to be a tragic accident with no evidence of third-party involvement, following initial reviews of CCTV footage and witness accounts.
Katy Bourne, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, said local politicians will be raising the issue of water safety in parliament:
"When I was growing up, we had access to pools at school and we were taught to swim.
"Nowadays, schools don't have that access - it's certainly something I hope this government looks more closely at."
Joss Loader, chair of the Shoreham Beach Residents Association, added that dangers that are clear to locals aren't always apparent to tourists:
"The beaches can shelve quite steeply and we obviously welcome visitors, but they may not have that local knowledge.
"I think nationally it would be good to have a water campaign which raises people's awareness.
"We all know that the sea is unpredictable. The weather is unpredictable.
"Obviously, the tide goes out and comes in, but for things like offshore winds, I do think an education campaign would help people understand the risks as well as the pleasures of swimming."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham cautioned the public about the dangers of open water swimming, dubbing the incident as "a terrible family tragedy."