A petition calling for a new swimming pool in Sandy, Bedfordshire, has been handed to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) by town mayor Geoff White.

The move was designed to put pressure on the council to provide funding for either a new pool or the upgrading of an existing one at a local school which could then be used by the public out of school hours. CBC provides free swimming under the government's FSP programme but the nearest pool to Sandy is in Biggleswade, around four miles away. Previous attempts by Sandy Town Council to get residents their own pool have come to nothing, something White attributes - at least in part - to having to deal with two separate councils. Mid-Bedfordshire was responsible for swimming pools, while Bedfordshire County Council had the responsibility for schools.

The area now has one new unitary authority, Central Bedfordshire Council, which is responsible for both pools and schools.