Jackie Baillie has said a £60,000 investment in water safety measures is “a welcome first step but more action is needed” to prevent further deaths on our waterways.

On Friday, the Scottish Government announced the funding after a tragic summer on Loch Lomond last year when four people died due to drowning within 24 hours.

It followed the death of schoolgirl Ava Gray the previous summer who died after entering the River Leven.

Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton constituency MSP, said: “This is a welcome first step but is simply not enough money to ensure that people aren’t drowning on our waterways. It will barely stretch locally never mind across the whole country.

“West Dunbartonshire failed to act when Ava Gray tragically lost her life in the River Leven in 2020 and sadly a further four people perished in local waters during one weekend last summer.

“The Council didn’t put in signage warning people of the dangers and didn’t replace safety equipment when they were asked to do so after Ava died. An action plan to learn lessons after the event should have been in place much sooner and we need a better, more proactive approach.

“One of the best ways to help locally is to invest in Loch Lomond Rescue Boat which needs a cash injection to relocate permanently to Balloch. This will cut down on their response times dramatically and ultimately help to save lives.”