A TEENAGER drowned while playing with his friends at a notorious beauty spot.

The 17-year-old got into difficulties yesterday afternoon at the Blue Lagoon reservoir - the picturesque spot near Belmont popular with East Lancashire people.

Today Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle called for the owners to consider fencing off the site, which does have signs warning people not to swim, after a string of fatalities.

The owners of the reservoir, Belmont Bleach Works, said people ignored warning signs but the area could not be fenced off because it would affect people's enjoyment of a public right of way.

But the incident is the latest of several deaths at the reservoir.

The tragedy has prompted fire service bosses to warn about the dangers of swimming in reservoirs.

And Mr Hoyle said: "Consideration should be given in areas of danger where we know people have lost their lives to whether it's feasible to actually look to fence this off to save lives in the future.

"More warning signs should be placed there and we ought to have better information about the dangers."

The teenager's friends were unable to find him after he disappeared under the water, and the emergency services were called at about 4pm. The Air Ambulance and the Lancashire police helicopter were called to help in the search.

Divers from Bolton Mountain Rescue team found him more than an hour later and pulled him ashore in front of his family, who had been called to the scene.

The boy, from Coppull, near Chorley, whose identity has not yet been revealed, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital in just four minutes.

Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

The site, officially called Ward's Reservoir, dates from150 years.

Mick Frankland, fire services area commander, said: "It's well documented that it's a dangerous place. It's private land and has signs up telling people not to swim there. There is very little we can do because once people are struggling, it's a long way for a rescue to be made because it's quite a remote area."

In 2000, a 33-year-old man died after the play dinghy he was in with his son capsized and the pair were thrown into the water.

In 1980 a Bolton policeman's wife died when the car she was travelling in plunged into the water.

Seven years later, the body of an 18-year-old from Chorley, was found in the water by police divers.

Julian Smith, manager of the Belmont Bleaching and Dyeng Co Ltd said: "It's deep and dangerous water and people shouldn't swim. But in terms of fencing it we couldn't really do that. It's a right of way, there is a public footpath actually around it.

"A lot of people take a lot of enjoyment in using it. It's a tragic accident but I am not sure how practical it is to fence it in.

"Signs say Danger Deep Water and No Swimming, but I have to say they're totally ignored. I don't see what can be done."