Make Domestic Water Features Safer for Children
Every year, children suffer serious injuries and preventable deaths involving garden ponds, swimming pools, hot tubs, spas and other accessible water hazards in and around the home.

Yet in the UK, there are currently no comprehensive, specific requirements for mandatory safety measures around all domestic water features such as secure fencing, lockable or self-closing gates, protective covers or suitable barriers to prevent young children from gaining unsupervised access.

In August 2010, my beautiful son Jack tragically drowned in our garden pond.

He was just 23 months old.

No parent should ever have to experience the unimaginable pain of losing their child in such circumstances.

Since losing Jack, I have spent years raising awareness of the hidden dangers posed by ponds and other water features around the home. I do this in the hope that no other family will ever have to experience the heartbreak that our family has lived with every day since Jack died.

Sadly, children are still drowning in preventable accidents.

Young children don't understand the danger
Young children are naturally curious. They explore their surroundings without understanding the consequences, and they can move incredibly quickly.

A garden pond may look harmless. A hot tub, swimming pool or other water feature may be considered an attractive addition to a home.

But to a small child, accessible water can become a life-threatening hazard in seconds.

It only takes a moment.

We need stronger protection
I am calling on the UK Government to review the laws, regulations and national safety guidance surrounding domestic ponds, swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and other accessible water structures in gardens and private residential settings where children may live or visit.

As part of that review, I believe the UK should consider:

Mandatory safety measures such as appropriate fencing, secure and self-closing gates, protective covers or effective barriers around high-risk domestic water features.
Stronger national safety guidance for homeowners who install or maintain ponds, swimming pools, spas, hot tubs and other accessible water features.
Planning or safety requirements for certain high-risk water structures before they are installed in domestic gardens.
Clear safety information and warnings when ponds, pools, spas or similar water features are installed, built or sold.
Greater public awareness of the risks that domestic water features can pose to young children.
Other countries, including Australia and some European countries, have introduced stronger safety requirements for domestic swimming pools and spas, including protective barriers intended to reduce the risk of child drowning.

The UK should examine these approaches and consider whether similar protections could help save children's lives here.

Prevention could save lives
At present, it can be easier to install a garden pond or other water feature than it is to understand the potential risks and the safety measures that should be put in place.

That needs to change.

This petition is not about blame.

It is about prevention, awareness and saving lives.

I cannot change what happened to Jack.

I cannot bring my beautiful son home.

But I can continue to speak about him.

and if sharing Jack's story can help prevent even one family from experiencing the devastating loss of a child, then his life can continue to make a difference.

Please sign this petition and help call for stronger protection, clearer guidance and safer domestic gardens for children.

Jack was only 23 months old. His death was preventable. Let's do everything we can to prevent another family experiencing this unimaginable loss.