Lads throw life-saving belts into river.

THIS is the moment a group of youths were caught on camera throwing life-saving water aids into the River Tees.

The group, led by a young male, are seen taking the life buoy out of its casing and throwing it into the water.

Almost all of the buoys around Middlesbrough's Hudson Quay, near the Riverside Stadium, were tampered with on Sunday, with several thrown into the water.

The footage comes after Cleveland Police received reports of youths tampering with the flotation aids on Friday. They remained outside their cases yesterday.

One witness said: "There was a group of about four or five of them and you could see them just walking round the dock from each one of the rings to the next. As they went round, they took each one of them out of the holder and chucked it in the water. These lifebuoys are there to save someone's life in an emergency, but that fact was clearly lost on these idiots."

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman confirmed the force received reports of youths near the life buoys on Friday. A member of the public reported youths sitting on the side of the quay over the metal barriers and tampering with the life buoys. The youths then walked away.

Later that day, it was reported that four young people were in the water and a member of the public was concerned for their safety.

But on Sunday a group was seen tampering with the life-saving aids once again.

CAPTION(S):

Youths throw life belts into the water at Hudson Quay, Middlesbrough