A police officer desperately tried to punch through the ice to save four children who fell through the frozen surface of a lake yesterday.

They were pulled from the water, but three were confirmed to have died today while a fourth, aged six, is in a critical condition in hospital.

Police gave an updated at a press conference this afternoon, describing the rescue operation at Babbs Mill Park in the Kingshurst area of Solihull, West Midlands.

Superintendent Richard Harris, of West Midlands Police, said they had not received contact from anyone suggesting that more children could be missing, despite initial reports that up to six boys had got into trouble.

But he told reporters: ‘We have to be 100% certain that there is no one else possibly in the water at this time.

‘It’s important to stress though that we’ve had no contact from anybody suggesting that there’s anybody else missing but until we’re 100% certain we will be carrying on searches throughout the course of today.’

He said the families affected were ‘absolutely devastated’ and that ‘at this time of year in the run up to Christmas it adds to the tragedy’.

Describing the rescue operation, he told how officers went into the freezing water and one tried to punch through the ice to save the boys ‘as quickly as we possibly could’.

One officer suffered mild hypothermia and needed to be taken to hospital, but has now been discharged.

Supt Harris added police were going by the families’ wishes about how much information they wanted to be made public about the incident.

He said he wanted to pass on his deepest sympathies for the tragic incident, and that specialist officers were supporting the families.

Local schools were also offering support to children who could be affected, he added.

‘It is incredibly sad that we do not have any better news for you today, regarding yesterday afternoon’s incident’, he said.

West Midlands Fire Service area commander Richard Stanton was also present, and said the deaths were a ‘stark reminder’ of the dangers of open water.

He told a press conference at the scene: ‘Frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs can look picturesque but they can be lethal and there are no greater warnings of this than yesterday’s tragic events.

‘We would ask parents and carers to remind their children of the dangers of ice and why they must keep off it. Please help us to avoid this from happening again.’

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Three boys under 12 were confirmed to have died today while a fourth, aged six, is in a critical condition in hospital.