COUNCIL leaders have denied claims that Guisborough swimming pool could close as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

Alarm bells were triggered after a report to Redcar and Cleveland Council's cabinet meeting on Tuesday revealed that shutting down the pool would result in a saving of £120,000 in running costs.

Dr Ashok Kumar, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, immediately announced the launch of a campaign to save the pool and arranged a rally to take place outside the building in Howlbeck Road at 10.30 today. A petition is also due to be launched at the same time.

But on Wednesday, the council's deputy chairman and lead member for culture, leisure and tourism, Dave Fitzpatrick, said there was no intention to shut down the pool.

He said: "We have no plans to arbitrarily close it at all. The cabinet agreed that the baths will be included in a full review of our leisure services.

"We expect it to stay open until it becomes a more serious health and safety problem."

Coun Fitzpatrick said the swimming pool was in a poor condition and needed major funding to bring it up to the required standard.

He said: "A condition survey was done by Sport England in 2001 and the conclusion was that the centre needed £307,376 spent on it to bring it up to a safe and useable standard. We are now three years down the road, so it's going to be about £500,000 now.

"If that had happened at the time, we would not be in the position we are and the pool would not be a risk to the public."

He added: "Sport England says we have too many pools - four within ten minutes of each other. While we are in this situation we can't put a business case forward for lottery funding or other grants, so it's a difficult position."

Dr Kumar said: "I, and the pool users, have been fighting for a long time to get funds to make the pool fit and proper for the new century. We have arranged a meeting at the beginning of February with Sports Minister Richard Caborn to look at funding strategies to achieve this."

He added: "All the evidence shows that there is deep support for the pool among the 17,485 population of Guisborough. The pool is well patronised and there are many local groups who use it day in, day out."