A married couple from Forest Hill have said the safety of members at their leisure centre is at risk after their phones and bank cards were stolen from the changing rooms.

Melissa Vasquez, 26 and her husband Luciano Cofone, 33, each pay £30 per month for membership at Wavelengths Leisure Centre in Deptford, run by Fusion Lifestyle.

The couple had left their valuables in a padlocked locker while they went swimming on a Saturday afternoon but were baffled to return to find the locker had been emptied. Only their shoes were left inside.

“The padlock metal had been bent. [The thief] must have had a tool to break it,” Ms Vasquez told News Shopper.

She claimed the thief had been able to “walk straight in” to the changing rooms unchallenged because of a broken barrier at reception.

“He just walked in, it shows such negligence,” the university worker said.

Although Mr Cofone managed to find his iPhone, the couple have not managed to track down the other stolen items, including a Huawei phone and a driving license.

Mr Cofone’s bank card had also been used in a spending spree just after the theft in a series of small payments.

After complaining to the manager at the site, Ms Vasquez claimed he “absolved himself of all responsibility.”

She added: “Someone actually needs to address this as it is risking locals’ safety time and time again.”

The couple has also complained to the Deptford MP Vicky Foxcroft about Wavelengths.

In a statement to News Shopper, the MP said: “As a user of Wavelengths I have seen the unacceptable standards at Fusion leisure centres in the borough. I have also been contacted by dozens of constituents about their sub-standard experiences at Fusion centres in my constituency.

“Urgent action needs to be taken to ensure that residents can access clean, safe and affordable leisure facilities.

“I will continue to meet with Lewisham Council and Fusion to ensure that we find a solution to the issues and will continue to work with residents to that their voices are heard.”

Frustration at Fusion’s services has grown across the borough after a group of parents started a petition to force improvement of swimming lessons at Glass Mill Leisure Centre in Lewisham.

In October of 2018, a meeting was held by Fusion after members of Forest Hill Pools reported having items stolen from lockers.

A spokeswoman for Fusion said: "We are already in communication with the customer affected by this issue and we have shared as much information as possible with them and the police. We will continue to work with them and support them in their enquiries.

"Access to our facilities is something that we take very seriously, not just at Wavelengths but across the entire Fusion Lifestyle portfolio."