YORK'S former Olympic swimmer, Caroline Foot, has joined in the condemnation of facilities available in Britain for present and future stars of the pool.

The 35-year-old described the facilities as sub-standard and said British swimmers' poor showing in the Sydney Games was unlikely to improve in the next two Olympics if no immediate improvements were made.

And she added that the situation in York - where an Evening Press-led campaign was needed to save the city's top swimming pools from closure - highlighted a broader national problem.

Speaking to the Evening Press, she said: "In general British terms, we need more 50-metre (Olympic-sized) pools.

"We've been saying that for years, but it's not been happening. As they're building new pools, they're knocking ones down so we're not that much better off.

"There have been top class swimmers that have come out of sub-standard pools, but if you had 50-metre pools with proper back-up and facilities you'd be getting an advantage."

Having failed at Sydney to win an Olympic swimming medal for the first time since 1936, Britain is seemingly falling behind other nations in the pool.

Foot said: "Unless we get facilities for young people and existing athletes, it is not going to happen for us in 2004 and probably not in 2008 either.

"Some of our swimmers have been doing personal bests but competitors in the rest of the world are improving quicker than us and we have to ask why."

Foot - the British 50m butterfly champion and record holder - said Britain's poor showing can not be solely blamed on one factor, but she added: "The closer we get in terms of facilities to the Australians and Americans then the more we'd be able compete on equal terms with them. At the moment it's not possible.

"Lottery sports grants for centres and programmes came in three years ago and since then that's all been concentrated on elite swimmers.

"Those youngsters at the level below have been forgotten about and although there are plans to improve that with Lottery funding, it's come too late for these Olympics and probably the next ones.

"The juniors that are coming through are coming through by chance and I think we're missing a lot of people - there aren't facilities to spot talent or keep youngsters in the sport."

She added: "It's poignant as regards what's been happening in York. We were desperate to keep the Yearsley pool; it's a 50-yard pool which is the closest we've got to a 50-metre pool.

"Unless we were to get a brand new pool near York which is 50-metre, it would have been pretty disastrous to competitive swimming in the region if it closed."