DRUNK teenagers who threw life rings into the River Ouse have been called “mindless” and “irresponsible” by police.

Lewis James Myres, of Ouseburn, and Thomas Edward Horsman, of Manor Drive South, both 19, were seen by CCTV operators around Castle car park in the early hours of Tuesday, April 15.

They were seen by the operators throwing one life ring into the River Ouse near the Castle car park, and another life ring had been removed from its mooring and left on the pavement, said North Yorkshire Police.

The incident occurred while searches were still under way for 18-year-old Signaller Tyler Pearson, who had tried to swim across the river after a night out in the city with friends. His body was found in the Ouse on April 17, and he became the third young person to die in York’s rivers in just three months.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Given the recent tragic deaths in York’s rivers, throwing life rings into the water unnecessarily is highly irresponsible to say the least.

“Life rings are there to help rescue people who get into difficulty in the river and if they are not available because of mindless anti-social behaviour then lives will be put at risk.”

Myres and Horsman appeared before York Magistrates’ Court yesterday, and both pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly.

Both men were fined £100 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and prosecution costs of £60 each.

Fine art student Megan Roberts, 20, went missing on a night out in January and her body was found in the Ouse in March, while Ben Clarkson, 22, went missing after a night out in March and was found in the Foss later that month.

Their deaths led to the launch of The Press’s Take Care campaign, and Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan and other organisations around the city are working to prevent future tragedies.