Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has warned people to stay off frozen lakes after reports of youngsters playing on them at the weekend.
However, those involved in skating on the Fenland fields are quick to point out how shallow the frozen water they use is.
“This is completely different to a lake,” said Hew Williams, short track director at British Ice Skating.
“Here we’ve got naturally flooded farmland that’s unique to this area of Britain and… there’s no flowing water underneath. This is still water that’s frozen and it needs to be frozen thick enough to actually be able to skate on.
“On lakes, on rivers, the speed of the water stops the ice from freezing thick enough so that’s what’s unique here.”
He said the maximum depth of the water under the ice was about a foot, or shin-deep.