Senior swimmers who once worked for the company that gave the Yearsley Pool to York have taken their fears for its future to the city's Lord Mayor.

Eleanor Dove, front right, hands over a petition against the possible closure of Yearsley Baths to the Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Peter Vaughan, watched by fellow Save Our Swim campaigners at the Mansion House

The oldest of those who met Councillor Peter Vaughan at the Mansion House was Ivy Windass, 88, who swims twice a week and does four or five lengths of the 50-yard pool each session.

Eleanor Dove, organiser of activities for the Nestl Rowntree Pensioners' Association, said the petition handed in had 1,186 names opposing any pool closure but it would eventually have more than 1,200.

Three-quarters of them were from pensioners, and the rest from relatives and friends who use the pool.

Coun Vaughan accepted the petition on half of City of York Council, saying he would pass it to senior councillors and officers.

Afterwards Eleanor, 79, explained their concerns about the Yearsley Pool, the future of which is being considered, along with the Barbican Pool, as part of a leisure review.

"It would just mean losing an activity, there's no way our people could get into town or anywhere else because they haven't got the transport," she said.

Each Monday they had 70 to 100 swimmers aged between 60 and 88. "They are so happy, it would be the biggest loss on Earth to some of them because there is nothing else they can do," said Eleanor.

Ivy, of Burton Stone Lane, recently had blood poisoning but was back swimming again.

She has visited the pool since she was at school, around the time of the First World War.

"I take my grandchildren and now I'm trying to tempt my five-year-old great granddaughter to go, so I hope they don't close it," she said.

Bert Stubbs, 75, said the prime object was keeping fit, and it was handy to take the grandchildren, while his wife Ann, 74, said it was also a social event.

Ursula Jepson, 71, said people felt well after the exercise.

Peter Sharp, 73, who swims three times a week with the pensioners, and the Rowntree's swimming and Yorvik lifesaving clubs, said he had taught hundreds of children to swim there.

Maurice Bell, 69, president and chief instructor of the Yorvik club, said when Yearsley Pool was closed for repairs they had problems finding alternatives and lost members.

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