It is unfortunate that the refurbished and remodelled South Norwood swimming pool has experienced teething troubles.

But that is no excuse for Labour Councillor Tony Newman, the one-time leader of the council who wanted to spend three times the cost on a new leisure centre on the site of the Albert Road Arena and an adjoining well-used and popular football field, to criticise the popular facility.

Any local resident of the side roads leading from Portland Road to Albert Road will vouch for the difficulty in accessing the existing arena by car.

A new facility there would have presented these residents, and others, with a major problem in coping with traffic, whereas the location of the existing and now refurbished South Norwood Pool on a major traffic artery is ideal.

In any case, I recollect a wide consultation exercise which came down firmly in favour of keeping the pool and refurbishing it, rather than spend an enormous amount on a badly-located leisure centre on a site which would lose a popular football pitch for youngsters.

There was indeed some abortive expenditure involved before the pool could be refurbished but that was due to Coun Newman signing a contract to demolish the pool and built flats without waiting for the outcome of the local election which, thank goodness, he lost.

ERIC KINGS, via email