'˜It's ridiculous my 10-year-old was too young for junior swim pass at Tiddenfoot' says Leighton Buzzard mum

The mum says she sought the pass for her ten-year-old daughter who is a regular swimmer at the centre – only to be told the youngster was too young to qualify!

The mum said: “To save myself paying each times she goes swimming, I tried to get her a junior pass of £15 per month (with a £30 joining fee).

“I was told these are only available for youngsters aged 11 years and upwards, and that if I wanted a pass for my daughter I would have to pay the full adult price.

“I thought it was a ridiculous situation that she falls into this gap. The man behind the counter said they’d had lots of complaints as well and that management were still sorting out prices.

“I thought they were supposed to be encouraging children to stay fit and active!”

Management at Tiddenfoot was taken over by Stevenage Leisure Limited from 1life in September last year. At the time, the facility had over 3,000 paid members, with 1,700 participants in its learn-to-swim programme.

When contacted, Central Bedfordshire Council insisted that the prices at Tiddenfoot were the same as other Stevenage Leisure sites – although the child swimming pass was unavailable on Tiddenfoot’s website when the LBO checked this week.

A CBC spokesman said: “Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre does offer a membership package for children aged under 11 who would like to swim.

“They can join the centre for free and pay just £14 per year. They are then eligible to discounted swimming and the other activities available at the leisure centre.

“The centre also offers learn-to-swim lessons for children, which cost £22.75 per month, with concessions for those on low incomes. Importantly, this swimming lesson fee entitles the children to free pool time to practise and gain confidence in the water.”

> Have you also had problems with child swimming passes at Tiddenfoot? Email [email protected]