SCHOOLS are being forced to slash the number of children's swimming lessons because of massive transport price rises.

At least nine Blackburn primary schools have already cut the amount of lessons because of extra budget pressures.

Now swimming instructors fear youngsters will be left without the life-saving skill while sports clubs are worried that future swimming talent will dry up.

National Curriculum requirements state that all children by the age of 11 should be able to swim 25 metres competently and use back and front strokes.

But around nine schools have too little in the coffers to cover the costs of transport to and from the pool as well as an 'all in cost' for the use of the pool including the cost of swimming instructors.

While the hire of the pool has only risen from £44.50 to £46.75 a session from last year to this, the cost of transport has almost doubled with the weekly coach contract -- paid by the council and charged to schools -- increasing from £1,754 a week to £3,075.

However coach companies are even struggling to keep the price at around £3,000.

Kay Cant, headteacher at St Michael with St John's in Swallow Drive, Blackburn, said just 55 of her pupils, half as many as before, now take lessons.

"We have cut back because of funding," she said. "The situation now is children only go for one year instead of two so basically they only have one stab at reaching the necessary level. We are looking at doing more Physical Education instead."

Headteacher at Lammack County Primary School in Lammack Road, Mary Lewis, said weekly swimming sessions had been cut from four to just one a week.

"We feel that swimming is a very important aspect of the school curriculum but with sending several sessions of children a week, the cost of transport has become prohibitive.

"The demands of the budget are such that we are now looking at other aspects of school sport."

Blackburn-based Aspdens used to provide the school swimming run service for many years but the cost was no longer viable. Accrington company Fraser Eagle then took on the contract after Christmas but at an increased rate.

Despite the price rise, the company decided it had under-estimated the cost and decided not to continue after just a few weeks.

Now Great Harwood-based Robinsons coaches provide around seven return trips a day for all the borough's 50 primary schools.

Paul Marney, co-ordinating the school contract for Robinsons, said: "There have been more cut backs since Easter which is bad and the situation is getting worse."

The school swimming contract is due to be sent back out to tender in July for a five-year contract.

Steve Rigby, director of culture, leisure and sport at Blackburn with Darwen Council, the local education authority, said: "There has been a 10 per cent decrease in primary school swimming sessions booked at the borough's pools.

Concern is growing over the standard of swimming in youngsters as a result of lesson cut backs.

One instructor covering Bank Hey, Daisyfield, Darwen and Shadsworth pools, who declined to be named, said: "All the teachers that come to us are complaining and disapprove. Blackburn Centurions have recently advertised for a community coach to scour schools for talent, but said that role would have less impact if schools were cutting back.