A LOCAL quarry operator has warned against the dangers of swimming in water-filled quarries during the hot weather after four people died in Britain in a fortnight.

Paul Hillier, of Kidlington-based Smiths & Sons, said he was concerned about sites with water in them including Gill Mill near Ducklington.

He said: “The surface temperature of the water can be quite warm but below it can be very cold.

“Quarries are also deep and there can be hidden currents.”

The Mineral Products Association has also warned that quarry faces can be unstable and collapse if people stand close to the edge, possibly burying or suffocating bathers.