SOUTHAMPTON'S oldest swimming pool has reopened after a quarter of a million pound facelift.

Shirley Swimming Pool reopened on Saturday, September 1, after a major summer refurbishment during August.

The £250,000 project began as a tidy up for the 44-year-old pool but soon escalated into major facelift.

Dave Perry, the owner of Shirley Swimming Pool for the last twenty five years, said: "As soon as we started work it was clear that the pools were going to need replacing rather than renovating.

"We took the decision to upgrade the pipework as they were still the original 1970’s design.

"Now we have much faster flow rates which means we can cope with the huge demand for lessons."

A team of fibre glass pool builders and pool design specialists were drafted to refit the pool in time for its grand reopening.

Due to new circulation systems, the poolside dug up, which made finding matching pool tiles a struggle for the team.

As well as this, the teaching pool sprung a leak and had to be re-grouted, which hindered the renovation time.

The pools were first built by David's parent's, Frank and Val Perry, after starting in a garage at their home in 1969.

The business is now in its third generation with Luke Perry, 29, helping to run the pool.

As part of the new design there will also be lanes allocated for walking in the water.

Dave said: "The use of water for rehabilitation from surgery and injury has long been recognized and in other countries it is normal to find times allocated just for hydrotherapy."