USERS of Bare paddling pool on the seafront complained this week that half treated sewage, dead rats and other rubbish were not being cleaned away.

Members of Morecambe Model Boat Club said they were worried about themselves and children catching diseases from the pond.

The city council's District Service Engineer Mr Ron Eckersley confirmed that there had been a problem with closing the sluice gate and that it cost the tax payer £500 a month to clean the pool.

He added: "We want this sorted out as quickly as possible. The person who is in charge of this is away at the minute but I can assure we will be looking to put this situation right as soon as we can. It seems that there's a problem with the valve on the sluice gate. This is the first I've heard of this but I can tell you we certainly will not put up with a children's pool not being cleaned. Of course problems like this do happen. All we can do is try and put it right."

Earlier Robert Rushworth, 43, of the Morecambe Model Boat Club complained that he had alerted the council weeks ago but nothing had been done.

He continued: "I'd say there's about six kids use it in the summer. We always tell them not to use it but they don't always listen.

"The thing is we know that dead rats and other rubbish are always going to be in there. What we are saying is when it is cleaned once a month it really has to be done properly. There's sewage and all sorts in there. The council tax payers, which includes all of us in the boat club, should get good value for money."

Another member of the club added that they and other council tax payers were promised a pool when work first started because they lost one at Sandylands. He added that members of the club want a council inspector to oversee the cleaning. The current pool is about six years old.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.