THE company running a swimming pool when a girl aged seven drowned have been ordered to pay £190,000.

Michelle Gellard died at Blackwater Leisure Centre in Maldon five years ago.

Leisure Connection, the company running the pool for Maldon District Council, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive and admitted failing to ensure the safety of bathers in October last year.

The firm was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay £101,663 costs when it appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Michelle was discovered unconscious in the deep end of the pool on June 14, 2008.

The court heard there were not enough lifeguards.

It was agreed the failure to ensure the safety of bathers robbed Michelle of a chance of rescue and survival.

Judge David Turner QC, sentencing, said: “If Michelle had been seen in time it might have made a difference, it might not.

“It’s impossible to say.

“The poolside manager had reduced the lifeguards to two, that was wrong.”

Michelle, from the Isle of Dogs in east London, had been taking part in a judo tournament at the leisure centre earlier in the day.

After finishing competing, the silver medallist went to the pool with five other children and Sylvie Zoetman, a mum of one of the youngsters.

When she was spotted at the bottom of the pool, leisure centre staff and members of the St John Ambulance tried to save her life.

She was pronounced dead soon after she was flown to Colchester General Hospital.

The Health and Saftey Excutive did not pursue the case that Leisure Connection’s offending was a significant cause of Michelle’s death or the company was engaged in deliberate costcutting at the expense of safety.

Mark and Sian Gellard, Michelle’s parents, said in a statement: “Life is still very difficult without Michelle.

“We are still trying to come to terms with what happened. She is dearly missed by all the family and in our thoughts everyday.”

Michelle's inquest returned a verdict of accidental death by immersion.