On a hot May day in 1995, an 18-year-old boy ignored warning signs to jump into a dangerous lake in Cheshire in the UK and sustained serious injury. Then he sued the local council claiming it should have taken additional steps to prevent him swimming.

After a prolonged legal battle, the House of Lords ultimately ruled in favour of the council, saying: “Of course there is some risk of accidents arising out of the joie de vivre of the young, but that is no reason for imposing a grey and dull safety regime on everyone.”