A COMMUNITY leader has issued a warning after a teenage girl who had been drinking had to be rescued after falling in a beck.

Police said the teenager was pulled out of the water at Levy Beck in Ulverston on Sunday night by officers after unsuccessful attempts by friends.

A spokesman for Barrow Police said on Twitter that she was "wet, muddy and drunk" and warned: "This could easily have been a much more serious incident."

Cumbria Police confirmed there were at the scene for around an hour after being called before 10pm.

The teenage girl was seen by paramedics and taken to hospital for checking over.

Following the incident, the mayor of Ulverston Councillor Dave Webster warned people of the dangers of going in the water having been drinking.

He said: "We have got to be extremely careful.

"There are a number of becks in the town and we got to tell people not go for a dip in one on the way home, especially if they have been drinking.

"Alcohol and going in the water does not mix."

He also advised against further incidents as temperatures soared in the lead-up to summer.

Mr Webster said: "We have seen lots of beautiful weather but we need to let people know that when the temperatures go up there are things they need to be aware of when they are out and about more.

"It can be hot outside but water temperatures can be still be cold."

The incident came shortly after a meeting of Ulverston Town Council heard there had been a significant decline in anti-social behaviour within the past year, according to police figures.

Crime statistics presented to councillors by police showed incidents of anti-social behaviour in the town reduced from 201 to 172 in the past twelve months.

Police also pledged to crackdown on underage sales in town off licences.

Officers used a 15-year-old to attempt to buy alcohol underage from 10 different establishments, with only one failing to ask for identification, receiving a £90 fine.