A lifeguard has spoken out on the violence and abuse he and his colleagues have to endure at Southend Council's Warriors swimming pool.

The teenager, who asked not to be named, says lifeguards need security from the rising tide of aggressive visitors to the leisure centre.

He said: "We are constantly getting abuse and violent threats from groups of kids at the pool. "They keep letting the same trouble makers back in to the pool no matter how much trouble they make.

"There is no security at all and we have no protection when things kick off."

Police were called to the centre on Thursday last week when a duty manager was pushed into the swimming pool by a group of young troublemakers.

The lifeguard claimed other lifeguards had been pushed by youths on two previous occasions and they were increasingly concerned for their safety.

He said: "I want people to be aware of what is going on and that the centre should pull its finger out and get more security.

"There are about nine lifeguards and we are all quite young, and we don't need to be dealing with this kinds of aggression at our age."

Police confirmed they had been called out to an incident at the pool on Thursday but no complaint had been made so the officers left the scene.

The manager of Warriors declined to comment.

A spokesman for Southend Council says: "We are reviewing the security arrangements at Warriors Swimming Centre following this incident.

"It is regrettable that people cannot behave properly in a public place which spoils the enjoyment of the facility for others."

Published Monday, June 9, 2003

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