FREE swimming lessons will be on offer at a Rossendale pool later this month as parents and toddlers are asked to help with a specialist training course for swimming coaches.

Marl Pits pool, which will be hosting an adult and child instructors' course on three Sundays, April 18, 25 and May 2, is asking parents with young children to help out during the pool sessions when teachers will be putting classroom theory into practice.

Duty manager Carole Fairhurst said: "All of the instructors on the course are qualified swimming teachers, but the training will allow them to specialise in teaching young children between four months and four years.

"The idea is for parents to accompany their child in the water and, with the help of our instructor, they quite literally learn to swim at mum's or dad's side."

The pool, which already runs daytime adult and child classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, wants to programme lessons into evening and weekend slots for working parents.

Centre managers are confident the new training course will provide more specialist teachers and allow lessons to be expanded. Sessions will be between 3pm and 5pm on each Sunday. Interested parents should ring 01706 226850.