An open swimming pilot in Bristol Harbour comes to an end

The pilot has been popular with open swimmers

A five-week trial which allowed people to swim in a city harbour has come to an end.

During the pilot at Bristol Harbour, which began in April, swimmers were able to book sessions in a cordoned-off part for a fee at certain times.

The scheme was launched after calls to scrap a ban on swimming in the harbour and River Avon.

Bristol City Council will now hold a consultation with swimmers before deciding whether to extend it.

For a £7 an hour, people have been taking a dip in a 200-metre course in the Baltic Wharf.

The scheme has been closely monitored, with lifeguards and safety boats on standby, and the water quality has been sampled and tested regularly.

Open water swim coordinator, David Quartermain, said: "This trial has gone amazingly.

"Every session has completely sold out which is great testimony to the Bristol open water swim community.

"The swimmers really appreciate that fact that they can go into the harbour and it's legal and it's safely supervised."

"The hope is, judging by the enthusiasm of the swimmers, that it continues for the rest of the summer."

Swimming sessions have been held in part of Bristol Harbour since April

The pilot follows a campaign to allow wild swimming because swimming in the harbour and the River Avon is currently banned in Bristol under a council by-law.

In 2021, campaigners from the Swim Bristol Harbour group repeatedly swam in the harbour, in the Cumberland Basin.

This led to the council's Harbour Master threatening to issue swimmers a £1,000 fine for breaking the by-law.