Three boys aged eight, 10 and 11 have died after falling through an icy lake in Solihull, police have confirmed.

A fourth boy, aged six, remains in a critical condition after the incident at Babbs Mill Park on Sunday afternoon.

A search is continuing after unconfirmed reports up to six children fell in, but authorities have warned it is “no longer a search and rescue operation”.

The four children were all in cardiac arrest when rescue teams pulled them out.

They were taken to hospital but police said in an update that three of them “could not be revived”.

Reports from the scene and social media videos indicate they were playing on the ice and fell through, the fire service said.

Police officers were wading chest deep in the lake this morning, though they have not yet confirmed that anyone else is missing.

West Midlands Fire Service said police and members of the public were already trying to reach the children when they arrived on Sunday.

Emergency services entered the water and rescued the four children, with firefighters and ambulance staff giving them “immediate life-support care”.

One witness told Sky News he’d seen firefighters smashing the ice and a number of people in distress, including three receiving medical attention.

The children, whose names haven’t yet been released, were all in a critical condition when they arrived at hospital.

Teams in boats used torches to continue searching the lake overnight.

One police officer involved in the initial search suffered mild hypothermia and was taken to hospital.

Local MP Saqib Bhatti visited the scene on Monday and praised emergency services for their “heroic” efforts.

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“The (search) operation went on all night in these really tough conditions,” he said, adding that “the whole community will be feeling the pain of this”.

Police have asked people not to speculate or share any video of the incident.

Richard Stanton, area commander for West Midlands Fire Service, warned the public not to go near open water.

“We know that the weather forecast for the next few days is expected to be bitterly cold,” he said.

“Please, adults and children alike, stay away from open water. Under no circumstances venture on to ice, regardless how thick or safe you think this ice may be.”

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