A swimming club has been told they will have less time to teach due to the pool's operator taking on more classes.

The Hatch End Swim School, which was established 40 years ago, has had teaching time taken away by Everyone Active and Harrow Council.

A petition was set up and more than 800 people signed it yet the club, who use the Hatch End Swimming Pool, in Uxbridge Road, now has its alloted hours cut.

Clare Foskett, 33, of Glencoe Road, in Bushey, one of the partners of the club, said: “We are disappointed and upset to have to let our loyal clients down.

“The goal has always been to encourage as many people from the borough as possible to enjoy weekly time in the pool and Hatch End Swim School fulfilled this goal better than anyone.

“We applied for planning permission for a plot of land in Chandlers Cross which was turned down. We have also been asking Watford Borough Council whether they have available land.

“Unfortunately we are competing with builders who want to buy land for residential builds, which pushes the price right up.”

The family dreams of one day opening their own small, warm water swimming pool to continue teaching their swimmers.

The youngest swimmer is six months old and the oldest is 85. Other members of the group include adults with learning disabilities.

Mrs Foskett said: “People have been on our waiting list for more than two years despite not advertising.

“The club was set up by Bill Bristow, Harrow’s first Channel swimmer, 40 years ago and it has remained a family swim school since.

“At 85, Bill still teacher advanced swimmers twice a week and he will no longer have a job when the cuts take place.”

John Sewell, Everyone Active contract manager, said: “Since Hatch End Swimming Pool won third place in the ASA Swim Scheme of the Year award, the demand for lessons has significantly increased, as has demand for public swimming.

“It was decided that in order to cater for this demand, some of the current pool space hired privately will need to be renegotiated.

“Everyone Active and Harrow Council decided that Tuesday and Friday sessions will be replaced with swimming lessons and there will be a new Saturday Public Swimming session between 11.30am and 1.30pm, which is not readily available throughout the borough. The club will keep their Friday sessions 4pm to 10pm.

“Hatch End Swim Club hire the facility on a 30 day termination agreement but Everyone Active has informed the club and offered to keep the sessions active until July 31, enabling the club to inform parents and also have time to find another facility.”