‘HAVE SHOWER BEFORE YOU GO FOR A SWIM...!’

Concern over cleaning chemicals shortage

SWIMMERS at three North Staffordshire pools have been ordered to take showers before getting in the water due to a national shortage of cleaning chemicals.

Lex Leisure – which operates three leisure centres in Biddulph, Leek and Cheadle – is asking its customers to ensure they are properly clean before going for a dip.

Sharing an update on its Facebook page, Lex Leisure said: “It is mandatory for all customers to shower before swimming. With chemical levels in the UK currently under increasing pressure, we ask all customers to shower before using the pool.”

The company manages more than 80 facilities on behalf of 31 local authorities across England and Wales, including three on behalf of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

However, other local authorities have not yet made showers compulsory.

Newcastle Borough Council, which runs Jubilee 2 in the town centre, confirmed it was ‘monitoring the situation’.

A spokesman said: “We are aware of the issues but we actually use salt to produce our own chlorine liquid.

“If we were unable to use salt, for whatever reason, we have a back-up alternative with chlorine tablets. But, we are monitoring the situation.”

Everybody Health and Leisure operates a number of swimming pools just across the border in Cheshire East, including in Alsager, Congleton and Sandbach.

A group spokesman said: “We were fortunate to see this shortage coming.

“While this issue has only been widely reported in recent weeks, the reality is this has been an ongoing pressure for several months now.

“We have been actively working with a number of suppliers to secure what stocks we can and we currently have a healthy reserve and additional orders on their way.

“Some other local authorities haven’t been as fortunate and have seen the introduction of reduced pool programmes. This is not the case in Cheshire East.”

They added: “While we do not anticipate any disruption to our current pool programmes, we have been working on a contingency plan to ensure greater resilience.”

Freedom Leisure – which operates facilities in Stafford borough – also confirmed it has not been affected by the shortage.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has been approached for comment.