Users of the swimming pool arriving for their lessons and usual swims on Tuesday and Wednesday were told that the facility was closed after vandals emptied the bulk of its water.

It is estimated that the cost of re-filling the pool and making up the lost revenue will run to in excess of £1,000 and Grampian Police have been called in by senior managers to investigate who was responsible.

The "Forres Gazette" believes that police officers have been studying CCTV footage of the pool from that evening.

Meantime Forres area Inspector Craig Donald, said they were keen for information and issued a description of two men whom they wish to speak to who may have been in the vicinity when the incident occurred.

"We are keen to hear from anyone who saw two males who may have been aged around 20 in the early hours of Tuesday morning," he said. "One may have been wearing a beanie hat and dark clothing. The other male had dark hair and is believed to have also been wearing dark clothing."

Swimming pool supervisor, Doug Cowie, who discovered the half empty pool when he arrived early for work on Tuesday morning said that he had contacted senior management straight away who had immediately called in the police.

He said staff at the pool were disappointed for all those who would have been using the pool on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially those who have their swimming lessons, who they had to turn away.

He said whoever was responsible had put swimmers to considerable inconvenience, including the hundreds of children and adults who would have been due to have lessons in the pool and members of the Blue Fins Swimming club whose club nights are on Tuesday and were left high and dry.

Meantime, Inspector Donald dubbed as "mindless" those responsible for the incident.

"Thankfully this type of incident is rare in Forres," he added. "This is a popular community facility which has been forced to close for two days. Those responsible for this mindless behaviour have given no thought to the financial impact and inconvenience caused to the local community."

Local woman, Veronica Tomlinson, was among those who turned up on Wednesday morning to use the pool as normal, but didn't even get as far as the changing rooms after being told the pool was out of action due to vandalism.

"I was extremely disappointed not to be able to have my usual swim," she said. "I go there three times a week to keep fit. The reception staff told me that it had been drained and was still being re-filled."

Moray Council's swimming pools manager, Ken Brown, said that staff at the pool were furious with what had happened. He said nearly half of the contents of the pool – around 45,000 gallons – were lost, but it could have been a lot worse if Mr Cowie had arrived for a later opening.

Forres Swimming Pool was closed for two days last week after vandals broke into the plant room and tampered with valves, which resulted in water draining out of the pool, leaving the facility shut for two days and causing inconvenience for dozens of kids who were unable to enjoy their swimming lessons.

"It was just sheer luck that it was not another day," he said. "Doug phoned me at 6.30 when he arrived. It could have been a day when we open at 10am, it would have been a disaster then."

He said that this was not a prank, but a malicious act which could have had disastrous consequences if the culprits had interfered with other valves.

"The plant room is outside with separate access," he said. "It was locked, but they managed to get in and turned some of the valves to drain the water, but if they had tampered with other valves, then pipes could have burst, water would have spilled out everywhere."

He said two fire extinguishers were also let off in the plant room, and said that serious electrical damage could have been done.

Mrs Tomlinson said it was disgusting and unbelievable that someone would even consider doing this, or think it was funny to empty the pool.

"We are supposed to be in a recession and economising," she said. "Yet someone did this and it will cost a fortune to put right. Its scandalous"

The pool appeared to have been drained between 10pm on Monday (May 11) when staff secured the building, before leaving and the following morning when they turned up for work.

"Draining the pool necessitates the opening and closing of a series of valves," said Mr Brown. "This requires a degree of specialist knowledge."

The swimming pool was closed on Tuesday and for most of Wednesday while the pool was refilled and the water heated to the proper temperature and chlorinated. It was re-opened on Wednesday evening as normal.

Meantime, a council spokesman said that the total cost of refilling the pool and the other associated works has not yet been calculated, but is likely to prove substantial. He said this wasn't taking into account the inconvenience which was caused to members of the public who were unable to use the pool.

Anyone who knows who is responsible or has any information about the incident should phone 0845 600 5700 or call the confidential Crimestoppers freefone 0800 555111.

t.mclaren@forres-gazette.co.uk

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