Popped down this evening for a nice leisurely stroll around the pond and a flask of coffee. 6 intrepid guys in wet suits took the plunge and did 2 full lengths of the lake in the time it took us to walk round--hats off to them! Just getting dark as they got out the water.

A sadder note was seeing a lady rummaging in the bins along the prom.

Why were they swimming in it ? I thought you were not allowed ? There is fish in there that bite as well ?

I don't think you are allowed to swim in it.
Must have been a club or something as 6 random guys couldn't do 2 lengths. It was quite late so no one else on the lake and a coup[le had fluorescent swim caps. The dodgy fish in there are weevers and only if you get pricked by the spines--they usually live in the bottom so if you have shoes on not really a problem.

There is a warning notice as you walk around the lake to say dangerous fish in lake so do not swim in the lake. I forget why but if they bite cause severe health problems.I have never fancied swim in any lake or pond due to bacteria

Mersey Tri club swim in there sometimes.

They will be weaver fish, they dont bite at all. They have spines on their backs that can cause terrible pain when trodden on.

The dangerous fish in question is the lesser Weever, which buries itself in the sand with just its eyes showing and its Black dorsal fin extended. When trodden on, it injects a venom into the foot of the unwary paddler. The sting gets more painful over time, paddlers believing they have merely scratched themselves on a sharp stone at first. The pain increases, as do the symptoms which include severe pain, itching, swelling, heat, redness, numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, joint aches, headaches, abdominal cramps, lightheadedness, increased urination, and tremors. Rare and severe symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms, weakness, shortness of breath, seizures, decreased blood pressure, gangrene, tissue degeneration, and unconsciousness.

Although extremely unpleasant, Weever stings are not generally dangerous and the pain will ease considerably within a few hours even if untreated. Complete recovery may take a week or more; in a few cases, victims have reported swelling and/or stiffness persisting for months after envenomation.

The only recorded death in the UK occurred in 1927, when a fisherman off Dungeness suffered multiple stings. The victim may have died of other medical causes exacerbated by the stings.

Information taken from Wikipedia.