Is YOUR child’s swimwear almost invisible underwater? Former swimming champion Rebecca Adlington backs campaign to ban retailers from selling swimwear and swimsuits that could increase drowning risk

With the summer holidays approaching, former Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington OBE is warning parents about the danger their children could face in the pool because of the colour of their swimwear.

Adlington is supporting a campaign launched by On the beach calling on the government to ban retailers from selling blue, white and gray swimwear for children.

Research by the campaign shows that blue, white and grey swimwear is virtually invisible at a depth of two metres in the pool, increasing the chance that a child will not be noticed if they get into trouble.

According to the campaign, two-thirds of children wear these dangerous colours instead of safer, bright alternatives, while 90 percent of parents are unaware of the risks.

Adlington says: ‘I’ve swum all my life and it’s only recently that I’ve realised that there are certain colours that you can’t see underwater. As a parent I feel like I should have been aware of this earlier.

Former Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington OBE (above) warns parents of the danger their children could face in the pool – because of the colour of their swimwear

Adlington is backing a campaign launched by On the Beach, which is calling on the government to ban retailers from selling blue, white and grey swimwear for children. According to the campaign’s research, these colours are almost invisible at a two-metre depth

‘In addition to On the Beach, I urge the future government to review the legislation surrounding the sale of blue, white and grey swimwear to children. This will ensure retailers are being safe and taking good care of our children by not selling invisible swimwear that could be dangerous to them.’

On Beach’s Change.org campaign petitioncalling on the government to review legislation surrounding children’s swimwear has attracted more than 2,000 signatures.

The campaign has also received support from the Royal Life Saving Society, a charity that works to prevent drowning. Matt Croxall, the charity’s UK director, said: “We’re delighted that On the Beach is working hard to raise awareness of the importance of water safety.

‘We urge parents to choose brightly coloured swimwear for their children when planning their holidays, rather than colours such as blue, white and grey, which are harder to see underwater.’

Pink, yellow, red, black, purple, green and fluorescent colors are all considered safe options that are easily seen underwater

Ann Hook, who signed the petition, said: ‘If lifeguards can’t see the child in distress, they might as well not be there.’

Another signatory says stricter legislation “can prevent families from ending up in total tragedies,” while another says it’s “scary how invisible some colours are.”

Blue is the most difficult colour to spot underwater because of the way humans perceive ‘colour at depth’, according to colour expert Lee Chambers. He says: ‘The lack of contrast, disruption of outline and camouflage effect can all play a role in making swimwear in these colours difficult to distinguish, lacking visibility and going unnoticed, a potential safety risk compared to colours that reflect light and have a sharper contrast.’

Pink, yellow, red, black, purple, green and fluorescent colors are considered safe options and are easily seen underwater.