A YOUNG man drowned while swimming with friends in a pond on Saturday.

The body of Gary Kinsey, 19, was recovered by police divers from the man-made pond opposite Evergreen Way, New Bold Estate. It is believed the Parr teenager had been jumping into the pond from a bridge with a group of friends when he went underwater and did not reappear.

Emergency crews were called at about 3.45pm and fire crews used a boat as they searched the pond for more than an hour. Mr Kinsey's body was recovered at about 5.30pm.

The pond is one of several in the area that were constructed following the redevelopment of land where the Bold Power Station once stood. Its depth is unclear, and while emergency services suggested it could be 9ft deep, some residents reckon it could be three times that.

Tony Biggs, 56, landlord of the nearby Sutton Oak pub, said some residents had long feared a tragedy could happen.

He said: "There are no safety rings, no deep water signs, it is not cleaned. It is full of blanket weed. People here are in shock - this could have happened to one of their kids."

Energy firm RWE npower are responsible for managing the lake under a joint agreement with Thames Water property services.

An RWE npower spokesperson said: "When the landscaping was done we commissioned a safety inspection and followed their recommendations to the letter, landscaping was done to discourage people entering the water.

"We are extremely sorry to here about this accident and we will be reviewing our safety measures."