Leisure centre floods after vandals smash pool glass
Youths smashed an underwater viewing window at a swimming pool, flooding a leisure centre.
Thousand’s of gallons of water poured through the shattered glass before the firefighters were able to drain the 50-metre pool.
Police said three people broke into the Dollan Aqua Centre in East Kilbride in the early hours of Saturday morning and caused extensive damage. The South Lanarkshire pool, which opened in 1968, was Scotland’s first Olympic-sized swimming pool and contained around 660,000 gallons of water.
It is understood the smashed glass panel – which allows spectators to see swimmers underwater – is five feet below the surface of the pool.
Firefighters used hoses to pump out water from the ground floor of the centre and South Lanarkshire Council supplied sandbags.
Dollan Aqua Centre staff were summoned to the facility in the middle of the night to assist with draining the pool.
A spokesman for South Lanarkshire Council said it was too soon to estimate the cost of the damage, but the bill was expected to be in the tens of thousands.
He said: “This was a devastating attack on a much-loved and muchused facility which caused extensive damage.
“We hope anyone with information about who is responsible contacts the police.”
Police were called to the leisure centre at 12.50am yesterday when they immediately sought Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistance. Detective Sergeant Martin McKendrick said officers were scouring the leisure centre for evidence.
He added: “Our inquiries are still at an early stage and we are gathering CCTV footage from in and around the area at to find out more information on the three men responsible for this incident.
“The three male youths were wearing dark clothing.
“I would appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious in and around this area, or who has any information on who is responsible, to contact Cambuslang Police Office through 101, quoting reference number 0182 of 20th July.
“Or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.”