A swimming pool that opened on Saturday after a £150,000 refurbishment has closed again - for emergency repairs.

And the outdoor pool at Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Banbury could stay shut for the rest of the summer after a plastic lining peeled away.

Cherwell District Council officials were called on Monday and ordered the pool's immediate closure on safety grounds. Now an inquiry is under way and samples of the polyurethane lining have been sent for tests.

Council chief executive Grahame Handley said: "It is unbelievable and very disappointing that we appear to have problems with the pool so soon. We may have to accept the possibility of the pool not re-opening this season."

The pool has been dogged by bad luck and the closure has come at the worst possible time, with youngsters off school finally enjoying some fine weather. Last year it was closed all summer after paint used on the inside broke up into powder. This year another material was used on advice from experts.

But after the re-opening on Saturday - for the first time since the summer of 1996 - the lining began splitting and peeling off.

The pool is owned by the council and run by Woodgreen Leisure, a limited company with shareholders drawn from the council, Banbury Outdoor Swimming Support Group, Banbury Cross Indoor Bowls Club and Serco, which handles the day-to-day running. Linda Plowright, council sport and recreation manager, said: "We are disappointed and let down. The lining began to tear as soon as people started standing on the pool floor or holding on to the sides.

"Pieces were coming away and by operating time on Monday our health and safety officers advised that the problem was so widespread that it could become hazardous."

Woodgreen director Julian Barbour said: "We have had some bad luck. After the paint failure before Cherwell took advice and decided to use the new material that is applied to reservoirs and pools. It just comes away in small pieces and there was a danger that children could swallow and choke on it."

Mr Barbour said Cherwell could not be blamed for what happened.

He estimated that the lining cost £60,000 and the balance was spent on other work. He claimed there would be no financial loss to the support group or bowls club.

Mr Barbour thought the earlier paint failure might have been caused by frost that came in the night after it was painted on to the pool sides and floor.

Ian Grindey, of Manchester-based consulting engineers Mouchel, said: " It is very unusual for this to happen. It might have been that there was a reaction between chemicals in the water and the lining material." Or, he said, the lining might not have been mixed correctly as it comprised of a hardener and a base material.

The lining was put on by contractor Interclass. Its technical manager Simon Carter said: "It is very ususual for this to happen. The cause is still unknown and it would be best of me not to speculate as there might be litigation."

But he agreed that the cause could have been either of those suggested by Mr Grindey.

He said he hoped to have the test results later this week.

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