Three hundred Sutton tots have their names on a waiting list for swimming lessons and the list is still growing.

Parents may now be forced to go outside the borough for private lessons to give their youngsters a chance to take their first plunge.

And fears are mounting that comparatively poor pay will also send Suttons school swimming coaches flocking to work in other boroughs, putting the quality of teaching under threat.

This latest news comes on top of recent revelations that refurbishment and repair bills at cash-strapped Cheam and Westcroft Leisure Centres have reached close to £4 million.

A council spokesman called the waiting list an unfortunate situation but said it was a nationwide problem because of the popularity of the sport. The problem, she said, was exacerbated by the shortage of pools only Westcroft has a teaching pool for the under-fives.

You can only have eight children in a class and they have to reach a standard before they can move up. This restricts the number of swimming classes, she said.

With regard to swimming teachers, she added: Although the councils rate of pay for swimming instructors is slightly less than in neighbouring boroughs, we offer more by running a continuous training and development programme for them and maintaining the high quality of lessons. Some may leave but we would like to think as many would stay because of the benefits.

School swimming instructors are paid £11 an hour. Those teaching at the leisure centres are paid £14 an hour by Sutton Community Leisure, a non-profit organisation in charge of the centres.

Now the future of swimming services seems to be resting heavily on the council coming up with a money-spinner.

In a review of the boroughs sport and recreation services, the council has come clean on the problems it faces.

Without on-going investment in facilities, continued deterioration of the buildings will occur leading to a decline in market share, a subsequent fall in income and increasing levels of customer dissatisfaction, it says.

The review, which calls for a five to 10 year capital investment strategy, will go before councillors at a meeting on Monday.

They will also be asked to consider ideas to make savings, including the sale of the £2 million Cheam site if another centre is built in the west of the borough.

By.Marie Jackson