New Addington family turned away from pool as not enough lifeguards

By gdavies

By Gareth Davies

gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk

A family were left high and dry this week after being turned away from New Addington Swimming Pool because there were not enough lifeguards on duty.

Justin and Kerry White wanted to take their daughter Shelley for a dip in the estate's only pool to escape Monday's sweltering heat.

The couple, who live in Rowdown Crescent, New Addington, had hoped to surprise Shelley, 11, after collecting her from Biggin Hill Primary School at 4pm.

Yet when they arrived at New Addington Pool and Fitness Centre they were turned away and told they were not even allowed to wait for space to free up.

Mr White, 45, said: "I'm fuming. It was a really hot day and the perfect afternoon for a swim in our local pool.

"We picked up our girl from school and we thought, as a treat, we would take her.

"Instead, we were told there weren't enough lifeguards. I thought it must have been some kind of joke because it sounded so silly.

"To top it off I'd paid £2 to park which was obviously a complete waste. They could at least have had a sign somewhere warning people not to waste their time."

Mr White, a self-employed window fitter, added: "We weren't the only ones to leave disappointed. They turned way a dozen other families. It's a shame because it was after school and I bet a lot of other kids fancied going for a swim."

Speaking after the incident, the council explained swimming lessons were under way when Mr White and his family arrived.

Normally 104 can swim in the main pool, but this is reduced to a total of 50 people during lessons.

This is because two lifeguards have to be taken from the main pool to cover the lessons.

Mrs White, 42, asked one of the pool's employees if her family could wait in line for another swimmer to leave, only to be told this was not possible either.

"That's what annoyed me the most", she said.

"A one in, one out policy would have made sense but instead I was told the manager had decided no one else was coming in and that was final.

"It only takes one look outside to realise the pool is going to be busy, I don't know why they didn't just draft in some more lifeguards."

A spokesman for Croydon Council said: "We have raised the matter with Fusion, the company who run the pool, and they have apologised for not allowing the customer to wait.

"They are also in the process of introducing a band system so that there is a more controlled turnover of swimmers in the future."

This system will see swimmers given coloured bands when they enter which will determine the time they must leave.