I WOULD like to express my dismay over the uncertainty surrounding Yearsley Pool.

We, the swimming public, received assurances from City of York Council that the pool would not again be in danger of closure, as it was in 1999, and substantial renovations were made.

Budgets have to be balanced but a swimming pool is a public service, not a money-making venture. In this day of high obesity, heart disease and other health conditions, government institutions should be building pools, not closing them down.

We live on an island surrounded by water, in a city with two large rivers. The health and safety of our population requires our children learning to swim well enough to save their lives.

If Yearsley Pool closes, where will the local schoolchildren learn to swim? Many schools cannot afford buses to transport them to another pool. A 50-yard pool is something most British towns and cities can only dream of. We are privileged to have an asset like Yearsley Pool in our city. Don’t let it go.

Wendy Keefer, York Road, Haxby, York.