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False leg sparks swimming pool peeping Tom scare at Larkfield Leisure Centre

00:01, 16 December 2013

Larkfield Leisure Centre in New Hythe Lane
Larkfield Leisure Centre in New Hythe Lane

Concerned staff evacuated children from a leisure centre following a peeping Tom alert... only to find the "culprit" was a false leg left in a changing room.

The foot was seen sticking out of a cubicle while the youngsters from Kings Hill Primary School were using Larkfield Leisure Centre.

Dozens of children were ushered away as a precaution while centre staff investigated.

However, on further inspection the foot was found to be part of a prosthetic limb left behind by a disabled swimmer who had removed it while he took to the pool.

Year 4 pupils were getting changed into their uniforms after their last swim of the term at the leisure centre, in New Hythe Lane, when the alarm was raised.

Staff and teachers evacuated all the students before making investigations.

But when they opened the cubicle they found the false limb left by a centre user.

Head teacher Kerry Thomas said: "We had 60 children at the pool that day, although they weren't all in there at once.

"One of the members of staff had seen it, and we quickly moved the children out, and everything was dealt with in accordance with school policy."

John Jackson was working as a lifeguard at Larkfield Leisure Centre
John Jackson was working as a lifeguard at Larkfield Leisure Centre

Leisure centre management declined to comment on the alert.

What do you think? Did leisure centre staff over-react or do the right thing? Join the debate below.


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