People should not jump into the River Hamble as it "contains high levels of e-coli bacteria, sewage and hidden objects", according to police.

Hampshire Constabulary has warned people not to go into the river after advice from the lifeboat crews.

Posting on Facebook, the force said: "As always, we advise people not to jump into the water as we are informed by the Lifeboat that the river water contains high level of e-coli bacteria, sewage and hidden objects under the water which can cause serious injury."

The force was posting on the Hedge End Police page after Hamble Lifeboat revealed its boat had been vandalised.

The independent lifeboat said lives had been put at risk over the "senseless act", which they said was caused by children on Monday afternoon.

The post on the Hedge End Police page urged parents to have "conversations" with children around safety.

The force said "a number of incidents" had been reported to them including the damage to the lifeboat, life rings being moved and "large groups of young people allegedly acting in an anti-social manner".

"It goes without saying, if an offence is reported to us and a suspect identified, we will take robust action where necessary - including the issuing of youth cautions and other out-of-court disposals.

"Our local officers have been conducting high-visibility patrols in the area as a result of the incidents of the last few days.

"If you do so see officers out on patrol, please do engage with them directly and speak to them about any issues or concerns that you would like to raise about your local community.

"Under Operation Aquatic, we continue to work closely with our partners including the Harbourmaster and port authorities to explore the most appropriate method of addressing the concerns surrounding seasonal anti-social behaviour, and the safety risks posed to individuals who behave in this manner in and around the water."

It is believed thousands of pounds of damage was caused to the lifeboat in the vandalism incident.

Speaking to the BBC, station manager Paul Ackland said: “If we'd had a call-out, we would have been delayed five or ten minutes – that could have been someone's life.”

The station manager confirmed that the charity would have to raise money to repair the boat lift, railings, and boardwalk.

He added: “We’re independent, we can’t just phone someone up and get a new boat lift, a new one alone costs about £3,000.”