PARENTS living near the River Severn have been urged to keep a close eye on their children during the summer holidays after an empty inflatable boat sparked a full-scale alert.

It was thought a child might have fallen into the water after the empty boat was spotted by the skipper of the Conway Castle pleasure boat, south of Upton-upon-Severn Marina. A police helicopter made sweeps of the river and about 30 people were involved in the search by boat and on foot along the banks on Sunday, August 13.

David Walker, chairman of Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue, based at Upton, said: "The drifting boat was a child's inflatable and there was no sign of any paddles.

"We launched three rescue boats and the search went on for about three hours before we decided it was a false alarm.

"Thankfully no child was reported missing, but it still gives me cold shivers when I think of what could have happened."

The searchers found an identical boat, deflated, on the river bank near the pathway leading to the Beeches, between the Marina and Ryall.

"This could have been horrendous. Children should not be playing with inflatables on the river," said Mr Walker.

"We still have a long way to go in the school holidays and parents should be aware of what younger kids are up to."