OWNERS of a Fleetwood holiday park were fined £12,000 this week after a swimming pool gas cloud put swimmers in hospital.

Bourne Leisure, which owns the Cala Gran Holiday Park, was fined £10,000 for putting members of the public at risk and £2,000 for failure to ensure the health and safety of their employees.

The company, which pleaded guilty, was also made to pay the almost £4,000 legal costs of Wyre Borough Council, which brought the prosecution.

The incident, in April last year, left swimmers and spectators coughing, retching and vomiting. A total of 26 people were taken to hospital, with nine children and three adults kept in overnight.

Fleetwood magistrates heard that the chlorine gas leak was caused when two chemicals were mixed together by a pool attendant untrained in their use. He had been asked to do the job by the pool supervisor, who had been trained.

Rodger Wightman, Wyre environmental health officer, said: "The magistrates, in apportioning the fines, clearly demonstrated the seriousness of the incident and especially the effects on the public.

"The council acknowledges the efforts the company has made to address health and safety issues since the incident.

"This case however, highlights the importance of health and safety at work and clearly demonstrates the need to not only identify hazards, but to ensure that management procedures are in place to prevent them causing harm."

A Bourne Leisure spokesman said: "The directors and management accept the findings of Wyre magistrates court. Vital lessons have now been learned from this unfortunate incident which occurred following a clear breach of health and safety procedures by two employees.

"New safety procedures and training schedules have now been put in place to further strengthen the company's health and safety policy, and an independent pools safety consultant is now offering advice.

"Both the court and the council acknowledge the strenuous efforts made by the company to improve health and safety issues since the incident."

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