It is hardly surprising that Thornton residents are up in arms at the thought of their local swimming pool being closed as part of the package of cuts planned by the Council.

They have fought hard over the last 14 years to hang on to an amenity which they clearly prize very highly. In 1986 they raised a 2,000-signature petition to secure an 11th-hour reprieve.

Just two years later they were embattled again, when the pool faced closure as part of a £5 million cuts package. It was spared then, but a question mark has hovered over it ever since. And now, after being closed last week when a crack appeared in its ceiling, it has once again been listed for the chop.

Admittedly, the Council is under pressure to save a lot of money to fund the district's schools, and closing a swimming bath might seem like an easy option.

But swimming pools are a valuable amenity for young and old. It is in the local pool that many children learn a skill which could save their life at some later stage.

It is the place, too, where older people go to keep fit, which in turn helps to save public money in health care.

As one resident rightly points out, in a village where there is not much for young people to do, swimming at the local pool is an important - and healthy - activity.

There are many reasons for sparing the pool. It is to be hoped that councillors consider them all fully before they reach a decision in December.