Two men drove a car about a mile along a frozen canal in West Lothian before it plunged through the ice.

Police said the pair took to the frozen surface of the Union Canal in Winchburgh, but the Peugeot 406 they were driving broke through the ice and became trapped in the water.

The pair escaped but the partially submerged car was discovered by the emergency services a short time later.

Andy Girraty, of Lothian and Borders fire and rescue service, said it was like a scene from Jackass - the US TV series which features videos of stunts.

He said: "They must have driven about a mile along the canal along the ice. The water was absolutely freezing.

"They could easily have died."

Around 25 firefighters from Central and Lothian and Border fire services were at the scene and used special equipment to reach the car and check no one was inside.

A police spokesman said: "While it goes without saying that the vast majority of people have the good sense not to take their vehicles on to frozen waterways, this incident serves as an example of the type of stupidity that the emergency services occasionally have to deal with.

"There is no doubt that these two individuals had a lucky escape, and had the canal been deeper there could very well have been a different outcome.

"At this time we would like to join British Waterways Scotland in reminding people of the dangers of stepping onto frozen surfaces, let alone driving on them. 

"The ice is now starting to thin, and there is always going to be the danger that it will give way, with potentially fatal consequences."

Two men have now been charged with reckless conduct. They will appear at Livingston Sheriff Court at a later date.