The parents of gold medal Olympian swimmer Adrian Moorhouse have condemned consultants’ proposals to close Bingley Pool.

And the champion athlete, who grew up in the town and went to Bradford Grammar School, would be dismayed by the threat, said Clifford and Kathleen Moorhouse.

The couple, who still live in Bingley, said the pool, which has been in use since 1927, is important for all youngsters – whether they are Olympic hopefuls or not.

Mrs Moorhouse said: “I don’t want to see any pool close.

“Swimming is one of those things that you want your children to be able to do, whether they turn out to be Olympic swimmers or not. Any child should be able to swim. It would be a big shame.”

Mr Moorhouse said: “Adrian started swimming at Guiseley and also used pools at Buttershaw and at his school at Bradford Grammar and then Leeds.

“We are very disappointed to hear the pool in Bingley could close. Children should be given the opportunity to swim in the place where they live, they are taking the facility away from people. I think Adrian would also be disappointed.”

Bingley Pool also has a gym, sauna and solarium and caters for groups across the community.

These include school children, over 50s, women-only sessions, parent and baby swims and it also caters for children’s parties.

Bingley Amateur Swimming Association also uses the pool as part of its weekly training programme. The pool is open every day and on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, it opens from 7.30am until 9pm.

Other pools under threat are Manningham, Queensbury and Richard Dunn Sport Centre after the proposals were drawn up consultants Strategic Leisure for Bradford Council.

The consultants have argued the city would be better served with an eight-lane 25m competition standard pool in the city centre which would attract swimmers from a larger catchment area.

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe branded proposals drawn up for Bradford as “ill-considered, short-sighted and damaging”.

Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con) said he would fight to keep Bingley Pool open.

He said: “I am all for encouraging people to participate in sport. There are lots of schools in particular who use Bingley Pool.

“I know local councils don’t have bottomless pits of money and difficult decisions have to be made. But, personally, I would want to do everything possible to save sporting facilities and I would back that campaign.”

Susan Hinchcliffe, Prospective Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Shipley, said: “I am really disappointed that they are considering closing Bingley Pool.

“Just when Bingley is getting back on its feet, the Council tries to drag it back down again. The new Myrtle Walk shopping development will be starting in September. It looks like the developers have more faith in Bingley than its own Council does.

“There has been long-term, under-investment in leisure services in Bradford. The Council simply haven’t set aside enough money for the pools in our district.

“At a time when we are all being encouraged to do more exercise it seems crazy to start talking about shutting pools. The Labour Government has just announced free swimming for the over 60s but it looks like the people of Bingley are going to miss out on this.”

The Council has been looking at a site for a city centre pool off Thornton Road for a number of years since Thornton Baths closed in 2000 after major structural problems were found.

e-mail: mel.fairhurst @telegraphandargus.co.uk