SWIMMERS young and old are being asked to help save a popular north Lancashire pool.

Carnforth's deputy mayor Cllr Bob Roe told the Gazette fears were growing for the future of the town's swimming pool, which opened back in 1978. A public meeting is to be held on Thursday, July 6 at Carnforth High School's hall to galvanise support, starting 5pm.

Earlier this year Lancaster City Council said its own "perilous financial position" meant it could not afford to keep running three community pools in Carnforth, Heysham and Hornby at a cost of £176,700 each year.

Hornby's swimmers saw their 15-metre village pool close on March 31, although residents have launched an appeal to reopen the mothballed building at Melling Road.

In Carnforth it was hoped the town's high school would take on the pool, and the city council agreed to give funding until the end of September 2017, to give time for a business case to be prepared.

However, Carnforth High School head teacher Vicky Michael and chair of governors Mike Dudfield sounded a note of caution at Carnforth Town Council's recent meeting. They told councillors they were still working on the figures but costs were proving "excessively high so far".

Carnforth swimming pool is located in the grounds of the town's high school, off Kellet Road, and is a popular venue for the Carnforth Otters swimming club, as well as classes such as aqua fit and over-50s swim sessions.

"We want the pool be saved," said town councillor Paul Gardner. "The pressure on the school to be able to take it over without financial support is unfair and the town council will now do all it can to support the pool and school's wish to expand their leisure facilities by taking it over in the longer term.

"This will take time but that is one thing we do not have at the moment. People are very unhappy and angry. It is almost too late. We, and the people of Carnforth, will fight this proposed closure hard. We trust elected representatives on the city council will support us in our work with county councillor Phillippa Williamson."

Gary Pearse, head of the estates service for Lancashire County Council, told the Gazette in a statement: "We’re still looking into options to try to keep the pool open. This includes discussions involving Lancaster City Council, Sport England and the school.

"Funding from the city council has allowed the pool to stay open until September, and at this stage we're still working on what could happen after this time. Once we have something more formal, we'll be able to let the community know about it."