Wallingford's paddling pool, swimming pool and campsite will be open during the summer after a U-turn by South Oxfordshire District Council.

A decision by officers to close them permanently, reported in the Oxford Mail last week, raised a storm of protest, which forced an immediate rethink.

The officers said the cost of repairing flood damage at the riverside park outweighed the benefits of reopening the facilities.

Wallingford's mayor Nigel Moor, who is also district council cabinet member for leisure, said: "It was the worst weekend of my life.

"The ferocity of the protests I received took me aback -- I never expected that reaction."

He and district council member for Wallingford Denis Strange called for urgent talks, which resulted in promises that the pools will reopen.

The district council's decision to close the pools because of cost resulted in the biggest mailbag the Oxford Mail's sister paper, the Wallingford Herald has seen.

There were letters from schoolchildren, their parents, town and district councillors.

Two petitions demanding a rethink were launched in the town.

The district council and individual councillors were also inundated with letters and e-mails.

Following an emergency meeting at the district council, Mr Moor said: "I'm recommending urgently to cabinet chairman and council leader Ann Ducker that the riverside park is reopened, with everything fixed in time for the summer holidays."

But Mr Strange urged people to keep on writing letters and signing petitions until the riverside park was fully opened.

He said: "The response of the people of Wallingford has been incredible. It left the district council in no doubt whatsoever that the actions taken were wrong and would not be tolerated."

A petition to the district council about the pools will be open for signing on May 31 outside the old post office, in Market Place, from 9am.

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