Carterton's mayor Cllr Joe Walcott says he is saddened by attacks on the council by a group of people fighting to keep the town's open air swimming pool open.

The pool was built in the 1970s and is owned by Carterton Town Council. It runs at a loss of about £22,000 a year. Major repairs are needed to keep it open, which could cost in the region of £100,000.

Work on a new leisure centre, which is due to open in March 2003, is about to start. The centre will include two indoor pools.

Mr Walcott said: "Much of the equipment at the old pool is nearing the end of its natural life. It is right that the council should take stock of the position and consider the options."

A grant towards running the pool from West Oxfordshire District Council will stop in 2003.

"Someone has to foot the bill and in this case it can only be those using the pool or the ratepayers of Carterton," said Mr Walcott.

A spokesman for the swimming pool action committee, Stephen Findlay-Wilson, of Alvescot, said: "A number of people want the pool to stay open. The council has yet to carry out a survey. We have found a surveyor who will do it for £1,000 but the council has told us we cannot have access to the pool.

"We think the town council is out of order and the way they are going about things is out- rageous."

The council will begin to consider the issues in detail at a committee meeting later this month with further discussions taking place over the winter.