FIREFIGHTERS were forced to don drysuits to search a car that had crashed into a lake near Darwen in the early hours of this morning.

Crews from Bolton and Darwen were called to the Blue Lagoon – officially known as Ward’s Reservoir – near Belmont at around midnight after a passer-by spotted a yellow Mini Cooper partially-submerged in the water.

A fire service spokesman said: “Two of the lads in drysuits went in just to check there was nobody in the vehicle and to make sure it was safe.”

Minutes after the search was called off, the Mini’s driver, a man of around 40, turned up in another car.

The spokesman added: “He had gone home to get changed and come back again. When we left he was explaining it all to the police.”

It is believed the man had been travelling from Bolton towards Darwen when he swerved on a bad bend, ending up in the water.

The 80ft deep reservoir is one of the area’s best loved beauty spots, owned by Blue Lagoon Heritage.