YOUNG people in an area of Bradford are still missing out on swimming sessions – over a year after a string of anti-social incidents led to new restrictions.

The incidents at Eccleshill Pool in 2021 and 2022 led to Bradford Council “temporarily” suspending Swim For All sessions at the pool.

It meant young people were unable to use the pool without a parent or guardian present.

At a meeting of Bradford Council on Tuesday evening, Eccleshill Councillor Brendan Stubbs (Lib Dem) pointed out that this temporary measure had now lasted longer than a year.

In a Councillor Question session, he asked: "Can the portfolio holder assure the overwhelming majority of well-behaved young people in Eccleshill that they will be able to access the pool in the same way children across the district can this summer?”

The Council response said: “We do not want the young people of Eccleshill to miss out on swimming for another summer because of the action of a few very unruly people.

“We have invested in training for staff and we have introduced new measures to help keep staff safe.

“We had planned to put a new membership in place to help manage bookings, however the IT system launch has been delayed due to technical issues.

“Notwithstanding any difficulties with IT systems we plan to start new swim for all sessions every Tuesday evening based around a local membership scheme, and we will develop further sessions from there.”

Councillor Stubbs responded: “I’m sure the kids in Eccleshill will be disappointed that it’s taken a year.

“When will it be up and running? Please tell me it will be back by the Summer holidays?”

Councillor Sarah Ferriby told Cllr Stubbs she would find out when the sessions were due to start and let him know after the meeting.

After the meeting Cllr Stubbs said: “Local children are missing out and families are having to pay more to have their children swim. For over a year we have been promised the return of open sessions and now we learn the best the pool can do is offer one session a week and cannot confirm when it will begin.”

He described the response to his question at the Council meeting as “less than impressive.”

He added: “The summer holidays are almost upon us and the children of Eccleshill are being let down for another holiday, failed by a council leadership unable to provide the access to swimming that our children deserve.

“One evening session is not good enough children should have the same access to swim that the districts other pools provide. They have a had long enough to sort this out.”