Swindon Link Centre pool closed until September

One of Swindon's swimming venues is to close during the school summer holidays after part of the pool wall was found to be in a dangerous condition.

The re-tiling work at the Link Centre will cost £75,000 and is one of a number of improvements being made.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said the leisure centre would also be re-roofed and the skylights replaced.

He added the work was being done over the summer as it is the quietest time of the year for the Link Centre.

"A lot of families with young children will go to the Oasis [another nearby pool] which has splash pools and slides, the swimming clubs don't train so much and the schools are closed so there are no swimming lessons.

"Our statistics show August is our quietest time [so] this gives a long sustained period in which to do the work. If we don't do anything there is a risk a chunk of the pool wall will come away and no one will be able to use the pool.

"If we left the work till after the summer you could impact on the school's programme and that could affect hundreds of children who wouldn't be able to do their lessons," the council spokesman added.

The pool is expected to reopen on 9 September.