PARENTS have vowed to reopen a school swimming pool, closed over safety fears, after missing out on a Lottery grant.

They were bidding for £40,000 to help revive Witney Community Primary School’s covered pool – for pupils and the wider community.

The 50-year-old pool closed in the spring after failing an inspection, which found its walls were not structurally sound.

Parents hoped the cash would repair the walls, improve pumps and filters, replace changing rooms and build a new toilet block for the Hailey Road school, which has about 200 pupils.

But lottery chiefs said not enough public consultation had taken place.

Parent Suzanne Reeve, who has three children at the school, said: “This is something we want for the children now, and for the future.

“It’s going to be extremely hard work to raise the money, but we’re very hopeful – we’re not giving up at the moment.”

Mrs Reeve, 38, of Poffley End, Hailey, said the action group behind the plan hoped to reapply to the lottery or other funding organisations or raise the cash themselves.

They have already raised about £1,000.

She said: “My children loved the pool. They always enjoyed the lessons and it was great fun for them.

“They really miss it now and they are really disappointed that they can’t use it.”

Rosemary Dains, 39, mum to five-year-old Amelia, said: “I think it’s a valuable facility for the school to provide for children, it isn’t something that every school has.”

The Hailey Road, Witney resident said: “The pool has been there for generations and I would feel quite sad if we were the group of parents that let it go without a fight.

“We will not stop trying until there’s no pulse left, and then we will try some more.”

Headteacher Jill Meyer also pledged to fight on.

She said: “The parents are wanting to save the pool, and the teachers feel the same way.

“We want to fight to keep it and we believe it’s very important.”

Sara Brown, spokesman for the Big Lottery Fund, said the demand for the fund “far exceeded” the amount of money available.

She said: “Difficult decisions have to be made and some good projects will inevitably be turned down, which unfortunately was the case here.”

Parents raised money to fit the plastic roof in the 1960s.