CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a swimming pool have been thrown a lifeline.

More than 90 residents attending a meeting with North Durham MP Hilary Armstrong in Wolsingham Town Hall on Friday, were told a feasibility study had given them a chance of re-opening the town pool.

The study carried out by Durham County Council revealed that villagers could form a charitable trust to run the pool with the backing of funding from Wear Valley District Council and the county council.

Residents launched the fight to save the pool after Wear Valley District Council announced earlier this year that it was withdrawing from a sharing scheme that was costing the authority £20,000 a year.

The pool, which is in the grounds of Wolsingham Comprehensive School, was closed to the public in March, but is still being used by the county council for school swimming lessons.

Now there is a possibility of it reopening to the public, after promises of financial help from the county and district councils.

But it is vital that the community form a charitable trust to run the pool.

The trust will need to apply to funding bodies for money to keep the pool open for the next five years.

Its greatest challenge would be to find further sources of funding to either replace or rebuild the pool at the end of that time.

Ms Armstrong praised people's efforts to save the pool. She said Durham County Council had pledged to help the community effort financially and commission maintenance to ensure the pool was handed over in good order.

The financial support would be a one-off £20,000 payment to bring the pool up to standard and £21,000 a year. Wear Valley District Council has pledged £10,000.

Chairman of the pool's action group, Dr Maggie Deytrikh, said volunteers and trustees were being sought.

She said: "The work of the dedicated action group must continue in order to keep this treasured pool in the public eye and to ensure that the next phase of this exciting project is carried out as speedily as possible.