THE family of a boy who drowned at a popular beauty spot in the district have paid tribute to their “lovely” son and brother, and asked if more can be done to prevent further tragedies.

Mohammad Abu Farhan was visiting Goit Stock Waterfall in Cullingworth with friends on the afternoon of March 30, when he entered the water at the site and got into difficulty.

The 14-year-old, from Barkerend, tragically went under the surface of the water and drowned, with expert police divers recovering his body from the site later that evening.

His body was laid to rest during an emotional funeral service on April 1.

Speaking exclusively to the Telegraph & Argus, Abu’s family said his tragic death had left the family heartbroken and they are still coming to terms with his passing.

The family said: “Abu was a really lovely boy, he was the youngest of the brothers and no one has anything bad to say about him.

“He was always there to help and did a lot around the house for his parents and siblings.

“It’s been a really hard month for the family; it’s been hard to come to terms with it and we are still heartbroken.”

After the news broke of Abu’s tragic death at Goit Stock, there was an outpouring of grief from friends and people across the Bradford district and beyond at the loss of such a kind-hearted, much-loved boy.

A fundraiser was set up in his honour through GoFundMe by his family to raise money for orphaned children in Bangladesh.

More than £4,000 has been donated to the cause, which will be used to provide food and shelter for children in the South Asian country.

Abu’s family said the support they have received from their community, from the district, and through the fundraiser has been a source of strength through the grieving process.

They said: “The support we have had has been huge, we’ve been quite overwhelmed and we really appreciate all the help and support everyone has given to us.”

The family are now asking for privacy to allow them to grieve, and added they will “always remember the good times”.

Following Abu’s death, concerns were raised around the safety of the scenic Goit Stock waterfall and what could be done to try and reduce access to the area.

The waterfall lies on private land and was somewhat of a hidden gem, but when lockdown hit and walks became the only source of freedom for most people, the sites popularity with walkers and revellers shot up.

It has also become a popular location for Instagram users looking for scenic surrounding to try and rack up ‘likes’ on their posts.

However, the risks of open, running water are real, and Abu’s family have asked if more can be done to make the area safer.

They asked if the waterfall can be closed off to the public to prevent anything similar happening again, and it is something local Councillors and Shipley MP Philip Davies have also raised.

Mr Davies offered his condolences to the family, and said it was "quite striking" the lack of warnings at the site.

"I visited with local residents after the tragedy and what struck me is there are no warning signs there," he said.

"There is a 'no swimming' sign but that's not a warning, there needs to be proper warnings such as 'deep water' and 'danger' and I have written to Bradford Council about this and hope to get a positive response.

"We also need to avoid pushing Goit Stock as a tourist spot; if you go there, it's quite difficult terrain and quite dangerous and we should be warning people away not encouraging them in.

"Of course, it's too late for the parents and my heart goes out to them, but the onus is that we need to make sure no other family has to go through the same heartbreak."

Cllr Naveed Riaz (Con, Bingley Rural) said “lessons must be learned” from the tragedy but as the site is on private land the Council’s “hands are tied” on the issue, but that work is ongoing to try and put in place safety precautions.

Cllr Paul Sullivan (Con, Bingley Rural) also said that the boom in traffic to the site in the past 12 months has been a concern, with people travelling from as far as Manchester to see the falls and walk around the area, and said he had “literally hundreds of people there at a time” during one patrol he undertook.

Emergency services were called at 6pm and arrived promptly, but it wasn’t until nearly 11pm that Abu’s body was recovered from the water by expert police divers, and Abu’s family question why it had taken so long and why the team had to come from Hull.

In 2012 each Yorkshire constabulary’s diving teams were merged, making savings of £400,000 at the time, ,which police say created a "dedicated, specialist" team covering the whole region.

Sergeant Paul Jackson, of Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Underwater Search Unit, said: “Our ongoing work across the Yorkshire region allows us to assist with any investigations or searches following the deployment of the first response rescue services.

“In 2012, West Yorkshire Police, Humberside Police and South Yorkshire Police merged their diving teams into one regional unit. This has allowed for a dedicated, full-time, specialist underwater search team to be available 24/7 for advice and deployment.

“This has resulted in capabilities to purchase specialist equipment, which reduces search times, enhanced knowledge and expertise in the field and allowed for extensive training programmes to be undertaken by all members of the team.

“We will continue to support the region in the recovery needed for investigations and are fully equipped to provide the efficient aid and support with regional investigations.”

The company which owns the land in which Goit Stock waterfall sits - Harden & Bingley Park Limited - was contacted for comment, but did not respond.