An MP has likened lifejackets to seatbelts and helmets as she made a case for Lucas' Law in a water safety debate at Westminster.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Natalie Elphicke highlighted the tragic case of six year old Lucas Dobson from Deal.

He died after falling into the River Stour in Sandwich in August 2019.

Now, the Deal and Dover representative is backing Lucas's mum Kirsty Furze's pledge to make it compulsory for young children to wear lifejackets on and around boats - in line with America, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

She stated it was "far time" the UK put in place these basic life saving laws.

By joining hands with other petitioners, Mrs Elphicke is hopeful strides can be made over the coming year.

She said: "It can only take a moment for an accident to happen that can take a young life.

"Children's float suits and swim vests can be inexpensive. They can cost as little as £10.

"Like cycle helmets and seatbelts, it just makes sense to be water safe, yet more people die from drowning each year than cycling, so we really need to start doing something about this.

"It's far time for the UK to put in place these basic life saving laws to protect young children near water."

The debate was centred on a petition in memory of Mark Allen from Manchester, who died, aged 18, after jumping into a reservoir on a hot day in June 2018.

The petition, which collected 103,535 signatures, calls on the government to require by law that throwlines are available in designated places around open bodies of water, such as reservoirs and canals.

Other tragedies were presented to the committee including that of Sam Haycock, 16, who drowned in Ulley Reservoir in Rotheram last May, and the case of Lucas Dobson.

Mrs Elphicke told the committee how the Warden House Primary School pupil had been "excitedly enjoying" a day out with his dad at a privately owned jetty when he tried to jump on the boat by himself.

He missed his footing, plunged into the water and was instantly swept away by the strong tidal currents. His body was found four days later.

The inquest heard that on the day neither Lucas nor his friends were wearing lifejackets while they played with the boats on the jetty.

She continued: "And that's why I'm supporting Lucas's family, his mother Kirsty Furze and grandmother Donna Kentfield in their calls for a new law, Lucas' Law, and that strongly echoes and builds on Mark's Law being discussed today."

The law would make it compulsory for young children to wear lifejackets on boats and around them.

It would require more lifesaving buoyancy rings and lifelines to be installed near rivers, lakes and seas, and a new safety awareness campaign for parents of young children.

She said: "Like Mark Allen who lost his life to drowning, Lucas Dobson might have been saved if the right safety processes were in place and had been followed.

"The tragedy in both these cases and that of Sam, is that these are accidents might have been avoided with better water safety support.

"So now we must do what is right to stop accidents from drowning resulting in death.

"Water safety is an extremely important issue for me and my constituents.

"I look forward with hope that in the next year we can see Lucas' Law, Sam's Law and Mark's Law move forward together because it does feel as if there is a need for a comprehensive strategy in this place."

Miss Furze told KentOnline she is pleased with this progress and is urging people to continue to sign her online petition.

She said: "We can't put into words how it feels that it's got this far, for it to be mentioned in this way.

"It feels like the ball is finally rolling and this is a step in the right direction.

"We want to remind people that we are doing this and we will see it through to the end."

Grandmother Donna Kentfield added: "We also want to remind parents, now that spring is coming, that when they're out and about near water to be careful.

"For us this is all about raising awareness. We feel very emotional about it."