A three-year-old girl has amazed instructors by swimming the length of the training pool at the Barbican Centre, prompting her mother to call on City of York councillors to keep the Barbican pools open.

Three-year-old Charlotte England and her trainer, Debbie Coe, with Charlotte's 25-metre swimming certificate

Charlotte England, who lives in Hull Road, York, is one of the youngest swimmers at the leisure centre to complete the 25 metres length.

Her mother, Caroline, said: "Charlotte's been having lessons at the Barbican every week since she was a baby and her two-year-old sister is going now, and they both love it."

Barbican marketing manager Sara Gott said youngsters did not normally swim the length of the pool until they were five so her swimming teacher was "absolutely amazed" to see Charlotte complete the distance.

Mrs England said: "Charlotte would not be swimming if it had not been for the Barbican - there is no doubt about it."

And she warned that cut backs threatening the Barbican, Yearsley Pool and other City of York Council leisure facilities could greatly reduce the York public's ability to swim.

"I can't believe there is actually a suggestion that they are going to close the place. In York, everybody is close to a river and I think it is important to know how to swim.

"But if people have to travel far to get to a pool I don't think they will be doing it."

City of York Council has launched a massive review into its leisure facilities which could see both the Barbican and Yearsley swimming pools close.

They could be replaced by a specially-built single pool, with the existing centres becoming private health clubs.

Both the Barbican and Yearsley pools are in need of expensive repairs and Charlie Croft, the council's acting director of leisure services, said demand for pools was declining and no longer merited three publicly-run pools.

But Sara Gott said about 800 people of all ages had lessons at the centre, with many more making use of the pool.

Yearsley pool had about 500 swimming pupils.

She said: "I think if we were to shut the Barbican pools it would have a really bad effect on learning to swim."

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