Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond has thrown her support behind a drive to cut drownings across the UK by 50% over the next ten years.
On average, more than 400 people drown each year and the strategy by the Water Safety Forum will now identify high risk groups and areas to get that number down to 200 by 2026.
Part of the forum’s plan is for every community to have risk assessment and water safety plan, to better understand water related suicides that number around 200 a year and increase awareness of risks in, on or around water.
The drive, which was unveiled in Westminster this week, will include working with local people, local authorities and organisations.
“Every year people are dying needlessly across Britain from drowning whether it be at the coast, in lakes and rivers or garden ponds, so this initiative is much needed and much overdue,” said Flick.
“Being a coastal city it is clear there are abundant risks in my constituency and I very much hope that Portsmouth City Council will work with the forum over the coming years to identify those risks and ensure that deaths and injuries are kept to a minimum.”