PARENTS fighting to reopen the only pool in an Eden town say their path seems to be blocked at every step by the specialist sports college that runs it.

Kirkby Stephen Swimming Club organisers packed Kirkby Stephen's small community centre at the town council's annual electors' meeting and appealed to the council to help keep the heated outdoor pool at the grammar school open.

The heated outdoor pool is at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School Sports College and was built for the benefit of the community.

Last year, the school governors took the decision to close the pool because improvement work needed to be done.

Carol Dinsdale said: "We seem to overcome one thing and then you get another in the way."

Mother-of-three Julie Lindridge said: "It almost feels like they (the school) are determined it isn't going to open and we are certain it is, and we've reached a stalemate and the pool isn't open and the children aren't swimming."

She said if the pool was not open, children might go and swim in the River Eden, where it was more dangerous and there were no lifeguards.

Mrs Lindridge and other members of the club said if the pool did not open dozens of schoolchildren would miss out on important exercise and fun, as well as the annual swimming gala.

The group feel they have responded to every demand the school has made to re-open the pool, including: paying for an independent inspection of the pool; being prepared to cover flagstone repairs; and hiring a qualified caretaker for the summer.

"There's a lot of kids who can't go anywhere else," said Carol Thwaites. "All the primary school children are missing out on swimming. It's just so frustrating."

Town council chairman councillor Shiela Haughey said: "What you are saying is the grammar school needs a kick up the backside.

"That probably means we've got to have a campaign to try to get them to open this pool and ask them why they are putting all these obstacles in front."

Coun Alex Birtles said if the pool did not open this year, it might never open again.

The council decided to write to the governors of the school and will later consider forming a pressure group to push to get the pool open.

Head teacher David Keetley, speaking after the meeting, said he did not think the school was blocking the pool's reopening: "We would like to see the pool open. It's not as if we are opposed to the swimming pool, we just want to get it safe for all concerned.

He added major work needed to be done on the pool to bring it up to standard and said the school governors would discuss it at their meeting next week.