A NORTH-East swimming sensation will be the youngest to have ever represented Britain in the sport's World Cup series this week.

But her achievement coincides with a high-level discussion on the country's lack of competition-size pools.

Stephanie Proud, 13, of Durham City, will join team mates twice her age in the Fina Swimming World Cup, in Paris, on Friday and Saturday.

The youngster, who trains at Chester-le-Street baths and the Raich Carter Centre, in Sunderland, was selected after she caught the eye of British Swimming's national performance director, Bill Sweetenham and youth director John Atkinson, by winning gold and silver medals in the European Youth Olympics in Spain.

She also won six national titles and set five competition best records in the recent National Age Group Championships in Sheffield.

Stephanie, a pupil at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, will be joined in the World Cup by Britain's two world short course record holders, Mark Foster and Zoe Baker.

She said she is looking forward to competing at senior level alongside such established champions.

"I've never swum with the senior team and I can't begin to imagine what it will be like," she said.

"It's quite scary, but I'm really excited."

While the World Cup will take place over a 25m short course, Britain's lack of 50m, Olympic-size pools was blamed for its failure to win a single swimming medal in the 2000 Sydney Games for the first time since 1936.

Newcastle swimmer Susan Rolph, who failed to qualify, was outspoken in her criticism of the North-East's facilities.

This week, the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee will discuss the issue, and MPs will point out that Britain has only 12 Olympic-size pools, compared with Australia's 750 and 21 in Paris.

Last year, Sunderland City Council submitted a bid for more than £6m of National Lottery cash to help build a £12m Olympic-size pool near the Stadium of Light. Another bid for a 50m pool in Newcastle has been submitted by Northumbria University.

Stephanie's father, Durham police inspector Ian Proud, said it is vital that the region receives such a facility.

"The North-East certainly needs 50m pools. We just have to hope that one of the plans is successful," he said.