Kentish Express Ashford & District
Row over Spider-Man T-shirt in pool
Dad’s anger over ‘health and safety’ ruling on costume
A dad has attacked a leisure centre over a costume drama when staff said his son could not wear a swimming shirt in the pool.
Mike Atkins and his sevenyear- old son Ben, from Hawkinge, were at the Stour Centre swimming pool in Ashford on Saturday morning when a member of staff approached them.
They have been going swimming together since Ben was two-years-old and had never encountered problems about his wearing the shirt before even during swimming lessons, Mr Atkins said.
He claims the centre told him Ben’s Spider-Man costume was a breach of its health and safety rules and that they could not swim.
Mr Atkins said: “We generally go there because he likes going down the slide. We go most weekends. She said it was a breach of health and safety but she couldn’t give me a specific answer. She just kept repeating this issue.”
Mr Atkins, a former military police officer, said a manager came out and explained that it was in case they needed to carry out first aid and needed to “grab him”.
“I’m ex-military and have done lifesaving training. We would go for the clothing first because it’s easiest to grab because they might be kicking out,” said Mr Atkins. “She said ‘he either takes it off or leaves’. She asked if he had a specific medical condition and I said no.
“I refused to remove the top as he feels conscious of swimming without a top on. He feels naked and feel that people look at him.
“He was absolutely gutted. He just cried. He wants to be a police officer and said ‘can we go swimming because I want to practice saving someone’s life’.
“He calls it his swimming training because I have to pretend to be drowning and he’s got to save me.”
Mr Atkins says he was left “gobsmacked” at the incident adding: “It was in the kiddies pool and the water wasn’t very deep – it’s up to my knees.
“He’s a tall seven-year-old and he comes up to my chest and I’m 5ft 11in.”
He received a refund but has since formally complained to the centre and vowed their family would never go back. It’s an insult to me because they’re basically saying ‘we know better than you’.”
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