HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling for diving facilities to be retained when a leisure centre in Poole is replaced.

Members of the Wessex Diving Club fear Poole council’s regeneration plans for the town centre will signal “the end of diving” in Dorset.

Although currently out of action, Dorset’s only diving pool is based at the Everyone Active (Dolphin) leisure centre.

However, Wessex Diving Club’s future has been thrown into doubt by the council’s recent proposals for a new leisure centre, which form part of its wider £132 million Town Centre North scheme.

When the plans were discussed at a council meeting last week, some members criticised the exclusion of diving facilities from the proposals.

A petition to ‘keep Poole diving’ has already raised nearly 300 signatures, with fears the 42-year-old Wessex Diving Club will be forced to close if the council refuses to re-consider its plans.

Janet Latham, chair of Wessex Diving Club, said: “If the council goes ahead with their proposal, it will be the end of diving in Poole.

“There’s a history of diving in the town, which is why it’s important to keep it here.

“Southampton lost its diving facilities but these were replaced and it now has a thriving diving club, as well as Portsmouth. So why can’t we have the same in Poole? We can’t train in Southampton as it’s not practical.”

She warned that if diving facilities were not kept in Dorset, there would be a risk of youngsters risking dangerous dives into the sea and rivers.

“It could be extremely dangerous as children will dive off bridges, and I have known people to dive off the pier.”

Rebecca Thompson, whose 11-year-old son Dante is a member of the club, is determined to change the council’s intentions to ditch the town’s diving facilities.

“We can still try and change this – I’m going to try and drive the petition. I have even contacted Tom Daley to see if he can help support us.

“Our activities are on hold while we wait for the diving boards to be fixed, but we don’t want to lose the momentum of the club. We have 45 divers. Dante has loved diving since the first day he went and he really misses it.”

To sign the petition visit thepetitionsite.com/374/368/243/keep-poole-diving/