Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond has insisted that the council is committed to providing top-quality swimming facilities, despite recently closing a pool.

The Rossmere pool was shut down by in February this year amid protests from local residents and councillors, who claimed they had not been consulted on the decision.

The mayor took the decision after he was told it would cost £450,000 to refurbish the 1960s-built pool.

Mr Drummond said: "Decisions to close swimming pools and other important public facilities are never taken lightly, but I want people to know that the council's commitment to swimming is as strong as ever and that we are determined to provide the best possible facilities."

He said that at the time of its closure on health and safety grounds, the learner pool at Rossmere was not operating to capacity.

He said refurbishment work was about to start on the arson-hit Brinkburn pool, which should see it re-open in time for the new academic year.

He said: "This will enable us to provide a full-time swimming programme for schools at Brinkburn, incorporating sessions that previously took place at Rossmere.

"I am also exploring the option of fitting a moveable floor to Brinkburn pool to provide variable water depths, and Hartlepool Swimming Club has indicated that it supports this idea in principle."