GOVERNMENT agencies are powerless to act over potential lethal disused lodges, claiming that any moves to improve their safety must come from those who own the land.

As revealed on Monday, Bolton North-east MP David Crausby is taking the BEN's campaign to fill dangerous lodges in to the House of Commons.

The MP is backing the campaign by calling for new legislation aimed at forcing landowners to tackle dangerous stretches of water.

At present no facility exists for Government safety and environmental agencies to take action over disused lodges.

Bolton Council also has no power to act when the land on which the lodges lie is privately owned.

The BEN's call for action comes in the wake of the tragic death of eight-year old Jaffer Javid after falling into Blackshaw Lodge over the weekend.

Council officials and police are currently trying to trace the owner of the land where the lodge is situated.

Mr Crausby previously told the BEN that he wanted to see councils across the country be given the powers to put pressure on landowners.

But a council spokesman said they have no powers at present.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can take action over lodge accidents but only if the lodge forms part of a factory or business that is still in use.

A spokesman said: "If the land is derelict and no one is injured as part of their employment then there is little we can do.

"We deal with safety in the workplace and this is where we can act."

While the Environment Agency (EA) which took over from the National Rivers Authority with a remit to protect water courses is again hamstrung by the fact that the land is privately owned.

An EA spokesman told the BEN: "Obviously from a safety point of view we would want everyone to be as cautious as possible around these stretches of water but it is not in our remit to act over them.

"We are there to protect water courses from pollution. We do realise that these stretches of water are targets for fly-tippers which is illegal but they are not controlled waters."

The added: "We would become involved if the lodge was to be filled in but the move to fill them in comes from the landowner not from us."