IF you have been to your local swimming pool recently, you may have noticed there are far fewer little ones splashing about in brightly coloured arm bands, and far more bored, goosebump-covered grown-ups hanging around the shallow end.

This is because local councils have, idiotically, declared children of four and under must have one-to-one supervision with an adult, who must be in the water at all times, while one adult, in the water, must be supervising every two children aged four to eight.

As a result, unless I could find another child-free adult to come into the pool with us, I couldn't take my boys to our local pool during the half-term holidays. And I came across lots of other parents who were struggling with the same problem.

We first discovered this barmy new ruling after we had sent out the invitations for our seven-year-old son's swimming party. When the girl from the leisure centre rang to inform us we needed ten supervising adults in the pool with us we cancelled and booked the village hall and a disco instead.

Having one-to-one supervision may make sense in local council land, where the authority may be held liable in the case of an accident. But in the real world, where the rest of us have to live, it is totally impractical.

For those of us with two or more young children, unless both parents can take time off together, regular trips to the pool may be out for quite a few years. Thanks to our jittery local authorities, dad can no longer even take the little ones swimming on a Sunday afternoon to give mum a rest.

With growing concerns about increasing obesity levels and lack of exercise, local councils and the public baths should be doing all they can to encourage youngsters to swim instead of making it virtually impossible just so that they can cover their backs.

Statistics show drownings in public baths are rare. No child under four has drowned in a public pool in the last ten years. Swimming in lakes and the sea is much more dangerous. And if we want our children to be safe, shouldn't teaching them to swim from an early age be a priority?

By increasingly absolving themselves of responsibility, local councils are choosing to play safe. But these new rules can only lead to a whole generation of children growing up lacking basic skills and confidence in the water. And just how safe is that?

ELSEWHERE, education bosses have been advising schools to cancel sports days if it is too sunny. Derby City Council says it is worried children may be exposed to the risk of skin cancer. But this is clearly not the council's only concern. Schools are asking parents to send their children to school with sun creams already applied. Teachers will keep a stock of spray-on creams, but are not allowed to touch children when applying them. This way, children may be kept indoors and deprived of exercise, but at least teachers won't risk being accused of paedophilia. I am amazed the council hasn't suggested that one parent should accompany each child in school at all times. Or perhaps the children should just stay at home, preferably in a locked, darkened room. At least if anything happened to them then, it wouldn't be the council's fault.