Published: Thursday, 14th May, 2009 8:00am

Letter - Troubled waters over pool"s rules

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RIVERMEAD Leisure has just decided that children must be above eight years old to use the slide in the swimming pool, despite what is listed on the sign.

Okay, rules can change, but the idiocy behind this annoys me most.

My daughter is coming up for seven years of age in about three months" time, she is more than capable of swimming, as with most children of their age, plus for the best part of the year she has already been using the slide in full confidence, just like most children.

I make sure that we are always close with her when swimming. Part of her enjoyment in the swimming is using the slide, only now she is being told she can"t use it because she is not old enough.

Swimming for most is about having confidence in the water, young children especially need to be encouraged. I feel we have enough of suppressing our children and this wrapping up in cotton wool must stop.

Rivermead claim the child must be accompanied by an adult, fine, I totally agree, I am always there, encouraging my child to be confident in what she does, but I think this policy change is going a little bit too far.

If you have allowed for this in the past and children have enjoyed this then why change?

I can go to the Central Swimming Pool where they have a large inflatable slide, knowing my daughter can use this without question, the pool area is larger and the depth is the same, so what is the difference?

Thank you Rivermead, but I feel you are making the wrong changes, so I will go to the Central next time.

Michael A Jones

Chiltern Road

Caversham