 A youngster prepares to jump from the Sail Bridge |
Thrill-seekers who have been using a new bridge in Swansea to jump into the River Tawe face a ban. Police and council officers issued repeated warnings throughout the summer that youngsters were risking their lives by plunging up to 20ft into the water below.
Despite this almost every day the sun shone they could be found throwing themselves off the pedestrian Sail Bridge.
Now an application has been made to extend the no-swimming by-law that covers the nearby marina to include the Tawe up to the Fabian Way road crossing.
 |  A number of initiatives were discussed to try and reduce the numbers jumping or diving from the Sail Bridge  |
It follows a meeting between council officers, South Wales Police, the Welsh Development Agency and Swansea Yacht and Sub Aqua Club to discuss the problem.
New signs warning of the dangers have already been erected in the area and police are to step up patrols.
Earlier this month a 20-year-old man drowned in the river, higher up its course at White Rock Bridge near Landore.
It is believed Patrick McDonagh of Gorseinon was trying to help a friend who got into difficulties.
Craig Lucas, a 21-year-old legal executive from Llanelli, is also believed to have drowned in the Tawe after a night out in Swansea in April.
His parents Charlotte and Malcolm collected 28,500 signatures for a petition calling for improved safety precautions in the marina area.
 Charlotte and Malcolm Lucas present a petition to AM Catherine Thomas |
Police say even during the recent heatwave cold temperatures in the Tawe can take people by surprise, leading to shock or cramp.
A spokeswoman for Swansea Council told BBC News Online: "With the opening of the Sail Bridge and the resultant problem of youths jumping in, a meeting was arranged.
"A number of initiatives were discussed to try and reduce the numbers jumping or diving from the Sail Bridge."
She said the application to extend the no-swimming by-law was now before the Welsh assembly.
The yacht club is looking to see if anything can be done to restrict access to the ladders used by the jumpers to get out of the water.
The Sail Bridge was built earlier this year as part of a �200m project to regenerate the marina and docks area.
Inquests into the deaths of Mr McDonagh and Mr Lucas are due to be held later in the year.
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