The message to Bradford Council was loud and clear from a group of regular swimmers at one of the district’s closure-threatened pools: ‘DON’T YOU DARE!’ The Thursday lunchtime adults-only session at Manningham Pool has a faithful following of swimmers, some of whom have been visiting the pool on a regular basis for nearly 15 years.

But they are incensed by closure proposals drawn up by consultancy firm Strategic Leisure for the pool in Carlisle Road, alongside pools at Bingley, Queensbury and the Richard Dunn Sports Centre.

Arnold Tipper, 75, of Sapgate Lane, Thornton, who swims three times a week with his wife Barbara at Manningham Pool, said yesterday: “Why are they doing this? I can’t understand it.

“We used to go to Thornton Pool and they closed that one so I can’t believe we might lose this one too.

“They can build a huge pool if they want but we won’t use it, we can’t get there.”

Mrs Tipper, 77, said: “We’ve been coming swimming for 15 years and if they close this one and Queensbury there’ll be nothing left for us. The Government has said it wants to give us free swimming lessons but what good is that if we don’t have a pool?

“Don’t close our baths.”

Sheila Monaghan, 80, of Allerton, and her cousin Mary Vause, 73, of Toller Lane, have also started using Manningham Pool since Thornton Pool was closed down eight years ago.

Mrs Monaghan said: “I feel very sad about this because I won’t be able to go anywhere else. I’ve got a horrible feeling they’re going to close it and not replace it with anything.”

Mrs Vause added: “I come twice a week and I’ve been coming swimming for years – since I was a child. There isn’t really anywhere else we can go, it would be the end of an era.”

Joan Close, 67, of Fagley Lane, Eccleshill, said: “I think it’s awful because it’s not just a pool, it’s a meeting place for us. We have a laugh.

“We’re not a club, but it’s like a club. We’ve been to other pools but we were adopted by the welcoming people at this one. We’d be lost if it closed. Eccleshill pool is closer for us but we come here because of the atmosphere. It makes me feel ten years younger.”

Mrs Close comes to the pool regularly with her friend Anne Leith, 67, of Sydenham Place.

Mrs Leith said: “I used to swim for Bradford when I was younger and we trained here. I went to school just up the road and when I retired I decided to start swimming again.

“My friends went there when I was younger and my friends go there now.”

“I have a lot of happy memories of Manningham Pool. And now there is such a good crowd that comes down and we’re all friends – there’s a lot of laughing and giggling.

“I look after my mum who’s 97 and coming here to swim is the only time I get to myself. It would be terrible if it closed.

“Swimming is so good for you – especially older people who have arthritis. We’ve really felt the benefit and things wouldn’t be the same without it.”

Sarita Sahay, 58, of Regency Court, Manningham, uses the pool four times a week. She said: “I walk from my home and I walk back and it’s good for my health. I meet so many people here, elderly ladies, children, they all come.

“They can build a state of the art pool if they want but just don’t close our pools.

“We just want to swim.”

e-mail: tanya.orourke @telegraphandargus.co.uk