CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a town's swimming pool are urging residents to attend a public meeting this week.

The Friends of the Shildon Community Pool have called a meeting tomorrow night to discuss how urgently needed repairs can be carried out and whether the pool has a future. The meeting, which starts at 7pm in the Civic Hall, has been called following a decision by Sedgefield Borough Council to close the pool after it developed a leak in January this year.

The council said it would cost an estimated £10,000 to repair the leak and that keeping the pool open would no longer be economically viable.

Campaigners are trying to generate as much public interest as possible in an attempt to explore ways of funding the repairs and keeping the pool running as a long-term venture.

Friends group chairman, Councillor Keith Henderson, said: "The problem is that we need funding to repair the pool and we need to hear from people who use the pool to convince funders that it is well used.

"I would urge as many people as possible to go to the meeting because at the end of the day it is their facility and we are going to try to save it if we can."

The council has agreed to pay £14,000 towards the running costs of the pool but will not pay for the repairs or for a feasibility study to see how much work needs to be done to bring it up to standard.