A “dirty” leisure centre that employs three cleaners must take on more staff as the site has “never looked so bad”, say furious swimmers.

Bosses at Ashford’s multimillion-pound Stour Centre stress they are “committed to maintaining excellent standards” - but visitors say hygiene issues are putting them off using the facility.

Freedom Leisure, which runs the site on behalf of owner Ashford Borough Council (ABC), recently told councillors it has recruited a third cleaner in a bid to tackle issues raised by residents.

It has also introduced a “no-shoes policy” to encourage swimmers to take off their footwear before entering the pool area.

But visitors are calling for further action as they say parts of the site are “absolutely disgusting”.

Angela Cowland, who has been using the pool since the 1970s, first raised cleanliness concerns in 2022.

“It has never been as dirty or messy as it has in recent years,” the Hythe Road resident said this week.

“I would like to see the Stour Centre succeed in overcoming this problem with cleanliness, which is most important in a public place.

“I am shocked they only have three cleaners considering the amount of people using the pool after each session.

“I feel if they paid just four cleaners to clean full time and had designated areas, it would be better.”

The centre – which opened in 1975 – underwent a £17m revamp in the mid-2000s, and was upgraded again in 2021.

The latest refurb cost £7.5m and saw 115 staff lose their jobs as the site was shut for a year.

Last month, a regular Stour Centre visitor met with Freedom Leisure to discuss her concerns over the facility.

But after visiting the site last Friday, she says bosses need to employ more staff.

“The toilets are absolutely disgusting, my daughter gags if she goes in there because the smell is so bad,” she said.

“There is mud everywhere, dirt on the floor, and my children have to get out of the swimming pool and walk in that – it’s absolutely disgusting.

“My concern is three cleaners at a centre like that are not going to be there 24/7, or at the high traffic times when they’re needed.”

In a statement, a Freedom Leisure spokesman says staff have received a number of positive comments from visitors.

“Everyone of us at the Stour Centre is committed to maintaining excellent standards of cleanliness,” he said.

“We now have a team of three full-time cleaners, each with substantial industry experience ranging from five to 17 years.

“The involvement of duty managers, operations manager, and general manager along with the lifeguard team has significantly improved cleaning operations.

“To enhance efficiency, we've implemented specific schedules for our cleaners, particularly during peak hours such as swimming leisure sessions and swim lessons, where they are stationed in the wet change area.

“A comprehensive deep clean of the communal wet side changing area was completed on March 9, and we have established a meticulous cleaning log, which is available for reference.”

The company, which also runs Tenterden Leisure Centre and Julie Rose Stadium for ABC, says “regular managerial walkarounds ensure consistent monitoring and quality control”.

“We've initiated a monthly customer forum meeting and introduced a no-shoes policy to maintain cleanliness standards,” the spokesman added.

“The progress made by our team over the past six months is evident from the numerous positive comments from customers which attest to the noticeable improvement.

“I would encourage all our customers that experience any issues with the standards at the Stour Centre to ask to speak to a member of the duty team immediately so improvements can be made quickly and efficiently.”