THE management of an Abingdon swimming pool has been branded as a “shambles” over an opening hours mix-up.

Two weeks ago Vale of White Horse District Council (VOWHDC) announced that Abbey Meadow outdoor pool would be open an extra two hours on Thursday and Friday evenings during the summer.

Patricia Yeates, 51, uses a frame to walk but enjoys swimming, so when she heard the news she got her swimming togs and headed down to the pool, only to find it was closed as usual.

Soll Leisure, contracted by the Vale council to run the pool, had decided after the first two nights that the extended opening hours were not commercially viable, and scrapped the scheme.

But it hadn’t made that clear to anyone else. Abingdon Town Council, which pays £43,000 a year towards running the pool, had put notices in the market place and outside the pool telling people it would be open for extended hours over the summer.

Deputy town clerk Sandra Hill only found out at the end of the day on Thursday that Soll had changed its mind and she removed the notices after 6.30pm.

Miss Yeates, who pays £70 for a season ticket at the pool, finds it hard to walk because of back problems, caused by an infection which saw her spend six months in the Nuffield Hospital.

She loves swimming but said: “I made the wrong call in buying a season ticket. “Swimming means a lot to me. When I’m pushing my trolley there is pain all the time, but when I’m swimming there’s no weight which makes such a difference.”

Soll’s contract manager Warren Higgins said there had been a miscommunication regarding the session on August 1. He added: “However the site was open for the later session on August 2 and will be open on August 8 and 9 from 6 to 8pm.”

After that, Soll said it would provide an additional late session every Thursday, 6 to 8pm from the week starting August 12.

However, this session will be subject to the weather, and Soll said it would put a notice on its website, soll-leisure.co.uk, two days in advance to say whether the pool would be open.

Abingdon Town Council leader Sandy Lovatt called the situation a shambles.

He added: “I am disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm for keeping the pool going from both the Vale of White Horse District Council and Soll Leisure.”

Vale council declined to comment.