Youngsters were today warned of the perils of walking on frozen waterbodies after reports of youths playing on Diss Mere.

The lake has been covered in a sheet of ice during the recent cold snap, which has prompted Diss Town Council to issue a safety warning.

Deborah Sarson, Diss town clerk, said the council had received a number of reports of youngsters risking their lives by 'foolishly' playing on the ice.

She said: 'I can't emphasis enough the dangers of trying to walk skate or play on the Mere. Although the ice may appear quite thick at the edges in other parts it is considerably thinner and there is no way of knowing whether the ice will bear a person's weight until it is too late.'

Warning signs have been placed around the Mere.

The warning comes after a man died after falling in a frozen lake near Southend on Sunday