We always hoped that the tragic deaths of Oxford schoolboys Hassan Hussain and Ben Halsey-Jones would not be in vain.

And so it is proving to be, thanks to new initiatives at The Cherwell School in North Oxford, which both attended.

Hassan drowned when he went for a dip in River Cherwell and got into difficulties in June last year.

Ben's body was recovered from the River Thames four weeks after he fell in while riding his bike at Port Meadow during the severe floods in January.

Now the school is introducing river safety lessons for all Year Seven pupils.

This week, it also hopes to introduce swimming lessons for youngsters who cannot swim, funded with money raised by pupils in memory of the two boys who died.

In a city like Oxford, which is dominated by waterways, it is vital that every child should be a competent swimmer from an early age, and should be aware of the dangers they could face.

The advice must continue to be - use bathing pools and places which are properly designed for swimming and where there is proper supervision, and avoid rivers, canals and streams at all costs.

Our waterways may look attractive and appealing when the weather is hot, but all sorts of hidden dangers can lurk beneath the surface, such as debris and strong currents.

We have had two river fatalities in Oxford in seven months. We don't want any more.

We hope the initiatives planned at The Cherwell School will be followed by other schools.

They may not be an absolute guarantee for the future, but hopefully, they will reduce the risk of other families suffering the heartache of losing a child through drowning.