MORE than 150 people joined MP Ashok Kumar on Friday to fight proposals to close Guisborough Swimming Pool.

Their protests were backed by Tees Valley Leisure, the company contracted to run leisure facilities on behalf of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

The pool has been earmarked for closure in cuts proposed by the council, which has said it was in a disgraceful condition and would cost £500,000 to bring it up to standard.

Paddy Corcoran, managing director of Tees Valley Leisure, said: "The council wants to close the pool on health and safety grounds, but we wouldn't be running it if it was an unsafe facility.

"It would cost £200,000 to maintain the pool as it is and not £500,000, as quoted by the council. That's what it would cost to totally refurbish the pool.

He said the council also planned to terminate the company's contract to manage the pool, which runs until August 2006, in April next year, which could mean redundancies. The council has invited bids to take over the contract from next year. Speaking at the meeting outside the Howlbeck Road pool, Dr Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said he was meeting Sports Minister Richard Caborn to look at funding strategies to help to keep the pool open.

Mark Hirst, head at Galley Hill Primary School in Guisborough, said more than 400 pupils have lessons at the pool each week and that access to other pools would be difficult.

Rob Vincent-Jones, chairman of Guisborough Swimming Club, said: "We have more than 100 members and the club provides a way for people to meet people, keep fit and it helps keep children out of trouble."

Dave Fitzpatrick, deputy chairman of the council's cabinet, said: "The council has not yet made a decision to close Guisborough pool, and if we did it would be on health and safety grounds.

"According to a consultants' report done in 2001, to keep the pool in a safe condition would cost more than £300,000 and the pool has deteriorated since then."