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Medway Labour demand answers over pool bug linked to Splashes in Rainham

00:01, 17 November 2016

updated: 13:39, 17 November 2016

Opposition councillors have drawn up a list of questions in a bid to get Medway Council to open up about a swimming pool bug incident.

Medway Labour group is calling for a full report into the norovirus outbreak which affected up to 120 people, mostly youngsters, who had visited Splashes pool in Rainham.

It comes after the Messenger called last week for the council to carry out a robust and open inquiry into the incident.

Splashes swimming pool, Bloors Lane, Rainham
Splashes swimming pool, Bloors Lane, Rainham

Investigations are continuing but last week the head of leisure services, Cllr Howard Doe, said the pool was 100% safe.

People who used the pool on October 28, including those attending a sold-out Halloween party in the evening, when the water was dyed red, became violently ill with some needing hospital treatment.

Parents have been questioning the cleanliness of the centre and there are also suggestions that the level of chlorine in the pool had been reduced so the red dye could be added to the water for the party.

Samantha Kemsley's one year old daughter had to be admitted to Medway hospital after going to Splashes
Samantha Kemsley's one year old daughter had to be admitted to Medway hospital after going to Splashes

Medway Council has been working with Public Health England (PHE) to look into what happened and said those investigations are ongoing.

Cllr Andy Stamp, Medway Labour spokesman for community and culture, has requested Medway Council provide a full report at the next overview and scrutiny meeting on December 8, outlining what happened with the outbreak, who – if anyone – was at fault, and what action will be taken to ensure the same thing does not happen again.

Cllr Andy Stamp
Cllr Andy Stamp

Cllr Stamp raised concerns about the decision to cut the leisure services budget by £1 million over the next three years, and what impact this will have on the council’s ability to run leisure centres safely and effectively.

He said: “Clearly, what has happened at Splashes is totally unacceptable and there are a lot of questions which have been left unanswered. As a councillor it is absolutely vital that I fulfill my duty to ensure that public health is protected at all times and that is why I am demanding answers.

“The most important aspect of this outbreak of norovirus at Splashes is to ensure that we do not find ourselves in a similar situation again.

"There are a lot of questions which have been left unanswered" - Cllr Andy Stamp (Lab)

However, we are less than a year into a three-year programme of cuts to leisure services being made by the Conservative-run council, and I’m really concerned that facilities such as Splashes will be underfunded, understaffed and unable to cope.

“I want to know what steps the council will be taking to help prevent this situation from happening again, and to deal with it more effectively if it does happen in the future.

"£1million budget cuts will make that increasingly difficult.”

Splashes, which was closed after the outbreak, underwent a deep clean. Cllr Doe said last week: “There is no suggestion that anything was wrong. Beyond what we have done already, there isn’t much else to investigate.”

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