YOUNG people are being warned not to toy with danger this summer.

With the school holidays now under way, Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD) is urging people to always play safe and remember the potential pitfalls that can occur when playing near its equipment.

Model planes and drones are becoming increasingly popular and if one of them strikes a power line or crashes into a substation, it can potentially damage an important piece of equipment and cause a power cut.

The electricity distribution network operator is asking people to not play near its equipment or substations in case a ball or toy comes into contact with it, or lands inside one of its substations.

Craig Gilroy, SEPD’s Head of Customer Operations, said: “From the outside, our substations are quite innocent looking but don’t let that fool you: inside there is a lot of equipment that can be very dangerous.

“If your football, cricket ball, drone or Frisbee ends up inside our substation, please don’t go in after it. If you do, you run the risk of an electric shock which can leave you with some serious burns, you may even lose a limb or even worse, you could be killed. Our Emergency Service Centre is open 24hours and can also be contacted on your mobile, so there’s no excuse for not giving us a call on 0800 072 7282.”

SEPD has compiled some helpful tips that are designed to help people enjoy the summer holidays and steer clear of any electrical danger:

n Never pitch your tent near our electricity lines, as it’s all too easy for its metal and carbon fibre poles to strike the overhead lines while you’re setting up.

n If you’re flying a kite and it gets caught in the overhead power lines, live electricity could travel down the cord and seriously hurt you. So be careful and remember to steer well clear of our lines.

n The great British summer is renowned for being fickle. As well as hot sunshine we occasionally we get freak storms and these can sometimes bring down our lines. If you come across fallen power lines or damaged equipment when out for a walk or hike, please stay well clear of them as there is a strong chance they are still “live” and call our Emergency Service Centre.

n When fishing, take care to look around you for overhead power lines before casting your line. Remember that electricity can jump gaps, so even if you don’t come into contact with a power line you could still be in danger if you get too close.

Mr Gilroy added: “My message to everyone is “look out and look up”.