Teenager's body found in fishing lake

The body of a 16-year-old boy was pulled from a fishing lake on the Stafforshire border after the car he was travelling in ploughed through a hedge and into the water.

The teenager was discovered by specialist underwater divers searching the water near Patshull Park Hotel, Golf & Country Club, near Pattingham, last night.

Click on the image on the right to see more pictures from the scene

Police said the boy had been a back-seat passenger of a Peugeot 306 that crashed into the lake during the early hours of yesterday.

An 18-year-old man who was driving the car and a 15-year-old girl, both from Shropshire, managed to free themselves from the vehicle following the smash.

Collision investigator Pc Chris Clarke said today that officers were working to establish the exact cause of the smash.

"A reconstruction of the incident has been done and we have taken some measurements from the scene for a full report," he added.

Today, South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson described the incident as "utterly tragic".

"What needs to happen now is a full investigation by the police and county highways to look at what led to the incident and anything that can be done to prevent something as tragic as this happening in the future," he added.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the youngster at what truly is a horrendous and awful time for them."

Police were called to the lake, known as The Great Pool, shortly before 12.30 yesterday morning.

Officers had received reports that the silver Peugeot had left Patshull Road and gone through a hedge and entered water.

The two teenagers who managed to free themselves from the car were treated for minor injuries by ambulance crews at the scene and a rescue operation was launched to search for their missing friend, also from Shropshire.

Specialist divers were called in from Nottinghamshire Police and they spent yesterday searching for the young boy.

The teenager's body was recovered from the water at about 5.45pm.

A 64-year-old man who had come to the Patshull Park Hotel to fish yesterday said he was shocked to find the lake closed and surrounded by police.

The fisherman, from Hartley, Kent, said there were about 20 emergency services vehicles there.

He said: "I was told that a Peugeot with three teenagers inside had gone into the water. It's terrible. You could see a crane lifting the car out of the water at about 3pm."

On August 6 2010, Patrick Cody, 26, from Sedgley, went swimming in The Great Pool while attending a wedding at the venue.

Guests raised the alarm when they heard Mr Cody, one of three best men at the wedding, calling for help.

His body was discovered by police divers three days later.