A PETITION to save a swimming pool at a North Yorkshire school has gathered hundreds of signatures.

The pool at Sherburn High School is used daily to teach pupils in the area to swim, but has been under threat since North Yorkshire County Council withdrew funding from the scheme last year.

Carol Saunders, who has taught swimming at the pool for 25 years, has led the campaign to save the pool with recently re-elected councillor Bob Packham, and started the petition last week.

Carol said: “We’re doing quite well so far. We got somewhere between 500 and 600 names on the petition this week.”

Campaigners and the parish council attended Sherburn gala at the weekend to hand out stickers and fliers, and were hopeful of securing another couple of hundred signatures on the petition.

Since the council withdrew funding, the pool has run at a loss of about £13,000 per year, with a letter being sent to parents asking for their suggestions on how to save money and fund the facility.

The school governors sent a letter to all parents asking for their suggestions on how the school can save money, and Carol said a number of suggestions had already been put forward:.

She said: “There have been a few more meetings this week with the parish council, and the appeal for suggestions finishes on the 31st.

“I know the governors have had a lot of emails and letters about it, because I have had quite a few myself. I’m quite hopeful now.”

Coun Packham said: “The parish council has now discussed this further and they are up to putting both effort and finance into this project, including support to obtain grant aid to keep the pool open and improve the facilities. “I am hopeful that the high school governors will agree to look at other options at their meeting on May 25. “If we can get an indication that they are prepared to look at keeping the pool open, we can then start to look at funding and management options.”