As the summer holidays unfold, families across the nation are gearing up for a much-needed escape to sunny beaches and poolside retreats both at home and abroad.

With the mercury rising in recent days, it's the perfect time to seek out some aquatic fun.

However, parents planning to take their little ones for a swim should heed a crucial safety tip: the colour of your child's swimming costume could be a lifesaver.

The consumer watchdog Which? has issued an urgent alert via Instagram, revealing that the hue of a swimsuit can make all the difference in a life or death situation, reports the Mirror.

Alive Solutions conducted tests on various colours and patterns in both open waters and swimming pools to assess visibility.

Which? warned its followers with a stark message: "The colour of your kid's swimsuit could save their life! This video highlights why if you're buying a swimming costume for your child, you should choose a bright neon block colour."

They explained that vibrant neon colours remain highly visible underwater, contrasting sharply with pale blues and whites which can become almost invisible, making it hard to spot a child in distress.

In a series of tests evaluating swimwear visibility from different angles including surface level, shore perspective, and from above a shallow depth of two feet, many costumes were found to be "barely visible".

The standout choices for maximum visibility were neon yellow, green, and orange, while other hues simply faded away.

In a swimming pool, vibrant and contrasting hues remained the most noticeable, according to Which?. The consumer watchdog clarified that swimwear in white and light blue proved to be the least visible.

Which? commented: "While the darker colours could be seen, they could easily be mistaken for shadow or dirt."

Alive Solutions found block colours to be more noticeable than patterns, with neon colours taking the top spot. However, the study revealed that small patterns, whether light or dark, did not drastically influence visibility.

On the other hand, large dark patterns significantly reduced visibility. For instance, a solid neon orange swimsuit is easier to spot against a dark pool bottom than a neon orange piece featuring big navy stripes.

Hence, if you're still shopping for children's swimwear, opt for neon hues to maximise safety.