A COUPLE have denied breaching health and safety regulations at a children’s swimming school linked to more than 160 cases of diarrhoea and stomach illness.

Dolphin Swim School for babies and children from six weeks old operated for three months from July 2015 with classes and sessions five days a week until October 2015 when it closed.

Following an investigation into reports of numerous cases of illness among its pupils by Public Health England and City of York Council, the local authority issued summons against Ryan Lee Griffin, 26, and Donna Leanne Kettlewell, 29, giving two offences each under health and safety regulations.

City of York Council alleges there were 166 confirmed cases of giardiasis linked to the school's pool, with two children needing hospital treatment.

Giardiasis is caused by a waterborne parasite and its symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramp, nausea, weight loss and bloating.

The school was situated in an industrial unit at Rose Centre, Rose Way, Nether Poppleton.

Griffin, of Black Moor Road, Moortown, Leeds, and Kettlewell, of Hawthorne Drive, Barlby, both denied charges of failure to carry out a sufficient risk assessment and failure to discharge their duty of care towards people using the school's facilities when they appeared before York Magistrates Court.

Both were charged as self-employed people.

Their case was adjourned for an all-day trial on October 15 at the same court, when expert evidence will be heard. Both were released on unconditional bail.