An inquest heard all four fell into the freezing water as they played on the ice at Babbs Mill Park, in Kingshurst (Picture: SWNS)

Four boys who fell through the ice while playing on a frozen lake died after drowning in a ‘terrible accident’, a coroner has ruled.

Finlay Butler, eight, and his younger brother Samuel, six, perished alongside their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and another boy, Jack Johnson, 10.

An inquest heard all four fell into the freezing water as they played on the ice at Babbs Mill Park, in Kingshurst, Solihull, on December 11 last year.

Birmingham Coroners Court was told Finlay plunged through the ice first before Thomas, Samuel and Jack fell in when they desperately tried to help him.

Witnesses described seeing the boys in the water screaming for help before they went under the surface during sub-zero temperatures.

Emergency services rushed to the scene at 2pm and brave police officers ignored safety advice to form a human chain and wade into the lake in a bid to rescue the boys.

They used their bare hands to smash through the ice but were unable to find the boys for another 22 minutes until Jack, Tom and Sam were discovered underwater.

Finlay was recovered from the lake at around 3.05pm having been in the water for 32 minutes but nothing could be done to save any of the tragic youngsters.

The hearing was told all four boys had drowned.

Finlay Butler, eight, and his younger brother Samuel, six, perished alongside their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and another boy, Jack Johnson, 10.