Swimming pool bans child floats under health and safety laws

A swimming pool has banned floats after a child almost choked on one he was trying to eat. Harpers, a privately-run company which runs Sports Centres on behalf of scores of local authorities across the South-East, has decided that its swimming aids can only be used during paid lessons under close supervision. It instituted a policy of putting all floats out of reach after an alleged choking incident, which sparked fears of a lawsuit.

Although staff have been told about the policy its existence was only disclosed when office worker Sarah Swain went swimming with a friend. Ms Swain, 31, said: "I had some swimming lessons last year but am still not totally confident in the water." She visited the Harper's pool in the sports centre owned by Wokingham Borough Council at Lower Earley, Berks, with friend Lyndsey Shaw.



"Being a non swimmer the first thing I did was look for a float. I was surprised to see none in the water or around the edge of the pool," added Ms Swain, from Thatcham, Berks. "It was then that I saw a load stacked up in a cupboard. The door was ajar so I went to get one only to be stopped by the lifeguard. He was terribly apologetic but said I couldn't have one for health and safety reasons. When I asked him why he said the company had banned them from handing them out because a small child almost choked on one.

"I said ''I am hardly a small child am I'' but he said they were the rules. It is embarrassing enough to have to admit you can't swim when you're 31 but to be told you can't have a float for health and safety reasons is plain barmy. What are they going to do next? Ban the pools from having water in them in case someone drowns. It is ludicrous."