Charity warning after 800 lifebelts thrown into the River Clyde this year
The Glasgow Humane Society is calling on people not to tamper with the lifesaving equipment
A lifesaving charity is urging people not to tamper with the lifebelts along the River Clyde, after they found 800 of them have been thrown into the water by vandals this year.
The family of Christopher Spiers who died after slipping and falling into the Clyde after a night out in Glasgow in 2016 are appealing to people to be careful near the river this winter.
After losing 28 year old Christopher, Duncan and Margaret launched a safety campaign to install the lifebelts with ropes attached, so they can be retrieved if throws are unsuccessful.
They said: “We should be looking forward to Christmas with Christopher, instead we've been grieving for him and mourning for nearly a decade.
"We wouldn't wish what happened to us to happen to anyone"
"My message to anyone who is going out over the festive period is to please be careful if they are anywhere near the water.
"We wouldn't wish what happened to us to happen to anyone."
The Glasgow Humane Society (GHS), the world's oldest lifesaving charity, warned that removing riverside lifebelts could result in a "fatal outcome" for anyone in trouble in the water.
Chairman of the GHS, Duncan Evans said: "Christmas is the time of year when everyone should be celebrating and enjoying themselves.
"Tragic consequences"
"The city's rivers are fantastic to look at and a huge part of the city's history and culture.
"But if anyone enters the water, especially after a few drinks, then the sudden cold can shock them into not being able to move, usually with tragic consequences.
"If a passer-by sees someone in the water and looks around for a lifebelt to throw to them, only to find a vandal has removed it, then that could have a fatal outcome."