THE council has been praised for its speedy response to a serious water safety issue.

Cllr John Crowther noticed that a lifebuoy near to Coves Reservoir had been removed on Friday.

The local authority's water and leisure safety representative reported the issue to officials and was pleased it was replaced he same day.

He has urged members of the public to look out for any lifebuoys that are missing and tell the council.

Cllr Crowther said: "It's very disappointing that someone has removed a lifebuoy and potentially put lives at risk.

"As the hot sunny weather continues it's imperative that life-saving equipment is at hand."