Town pool operator throws in towel

A north Shropshire pool has been forced to close temporarily after its operator ceased trading. Glynis Sheppard is managing director of Wem Swimming Centre Ltd.

She decided to throw in the towel after her lease was terminated by the town council.

Today the town's mayor, Councillor Doug Cooley, said the pool was temporarily closed until the new operators could take over.

Miss Sheppard decided to stop trading on Sunday, two months before her lease was up. She said: "It is with much regret that Wem Swimming Centre Ltd ceased trading on Sunday.

"Unfortunately after Wem Town Council terminated the company's lease it was no longer financially viable to continue trading and it has been advised to close the limited company."

Miss Sheppard stepped in to save the crisis-hit pool by agreeing to take on the lease after it was closed in 2004 by the former district council.

But this year she put the company on the market for £65,000. Before she was able to sell it, the council notified her it was terminating her lease as of July 16.

Council chiefs said they were looking to safeguard the future of the pool and announced Teme Leisure, a not for profit trust, would be the new operator.

Councillor Cooley said: "The pool is temporarily closed. We are in talks with Teme Leisure. We are meeting with them on Monday and we will open it again as quickly as possible."

Miss Sheppard said people who have paid for their child's swimming lessons in advance can no longer be refunded. She added: "As a good will gesture, Swim with Style Ltd, which is a separate company . . ., has decided to offer the chance for all pupils to transfer over to their other venues."