The British Gas Pools 4 Schools initiative is coming to Ashington, where a 12m x 6m temporary teaching pool has been built at Ashington High School Sports College.

The programme was conceived and developed by Total Swimming, the company led by Olympic bronze medallist, Steve Parry and is endorsed by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA).

After nearly drowning, following a fall into the River Thames as a youngster, Steve's parents considered it a necessity that he learnt how to swim, never imagining that he would go onto achieve future Olympic glory.

The 0.9m deep pool has been constructed in just four days and will welcome children until Friday, July 24.

Steve said: "The focus of the programme is to support young people in achieving the National Curriculum target of swimming 25m and to gain an understanding of water safety.

"Northumberland is a key target area for this project, based mainly on the aquatic deprivation of the area's population. It will ensure that children are given an opportunity that they might otherwise not have had."

Partnership development manager for the Ashington School Sport Partnership, Elizabeth Armstrong, added: "The arrival of the pool in Ashington has created a real buzz – this is an excellent facility for use by our local schools and the wider community.

"The young people who are swimming in curriculum time are loving being in the water, making fantastic progress and coming back in the evenings with their families.

"We are thrilled with the whole project and hope it will encourage young people to continue to be more active long after the pool has gone."