Children's paddling pools to be drained under health and safety rules

A council has been told that the 18-inch deep pools should be subject to the same level of safety as beaches and public swimming pools. The pools have been supervised by park attendants with life-saving training, but now officials say the paddling pools should be patrolled by trained lifeguards.

The move was criticised by parents and councillors who said youngsters had been taken to the parks to paddle in the pools for generations.

Officials have ordered that eight paddling pools in Carmarthenshire, South Wales, should have fully trained lifeguards. The council said it could not afford to employ lifeguards, and the pools may have to be drained.



Clive Scourfield, Carmarthenshire county council's executive board member for leisure services, said: "Attendants with life-saving qualifications have managed the pools during the school summer holidays. But safety and insurance audits have demanded the change.

"The audit called for supervision in the same way that our swimming pools are permanently attended by lifeguards."

A council official said: "Youngsters over the generations have spent their school holidays splashing about in these pools. We always thought attendants were sufficient to supervise the pools but it seems we should have fully trained lifeguards even for pools just a few inches deep."