A councillor criticised the closure of a north Cumbrian community's swimming pool, saying it leaves young people in the area at risk.

Allerdale Borough Council announced the permanent closure of the swimming pool at Keswick Leisure Centre in June.

Allerdale Borough Councillor for Keswick, Markus Campbell-Savours claimed the closure of the swimming pool would deprive young people in the area of vital swimming skills.

He said: "As a parent of two young children I am acutely aware of the risk of drowning in our lakes and rivers.

"It is vitally important that our young people are able to swim.

"Sadly Allerdale's decision to close the pool in Keswick carries a risk that many young people will not develop these key skills and lack confidence in the water.

"Let's all hope these incidents can demonstrate the importance of swimming for Keswick and that Allerdale not only has a responsibility to rebuild a pool for Keswick, but also help schools and families access alternative provision in the interim."

Cumbria has seen an increase in water-related incidents of late as temperatures soar and the number of visitors coming to the Lake District rises.

Bodies at Crummock Water and Brothers Water were found after swimmers had got into difficulty.

Tributes poured in last month after the death of teenager Mohammad Abdul Hamid, known as Hamid, whose body was identified after a multi-agency search on River Eden at Rickerby Park in Carlisle.

Various councils across the county have been trying to push basic swimming lessons for young people at leisure centres.

A spokesperson for Allerdale Borough Council said: "Members of Keswick Leisure Centre will be able to use other council-owned pools in the area including Cockermouth, Workington and Penrith.

"GLL, the charitable social enterprise that operates the pool on the council’s behalf under the Better brand, will be contacting members, schools and users with regards to alternative options.

"In the meantime, GLL are exploring all swim options including an open water programme for children for summer 2022 to ensure local people can continue to learn this vital life skill.”

For more information on water safety, visit https://www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/water-safety-information.