PARALYMPIAN Andy Lewis can’t train locally and has to travel over 45 minutes for a swim in Bristol because it’s ‘impossible’ to train at his local Lydney pool.

Para-triathlete Lewis, who has been training hard in the run up to the Rio 2016 Paralympics, has to travel to Bradley Stoke because he says there is bad management of swimming lanes and no pool etiquette at Freedom Leisure in Lydney.

Pool staff are at the facilities at 6.30am and Lewis had asked if he could have a session before it opens to the public at 7am. But they refused.

He said: “Every time I come back from Loughborough I can’t train in my home town.

“I asked if I could go in before the pool opens and have a session.

“The staff are already there so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

After being refused the chance for an early swim Lewis asked if they could set up swimming lanes across the pool but this was also refused.

He said: “I asked if they could trial it because, as it stands, people are swimming all over the place which isn’t good if you’re trying to have a session.

“They refused to do so in fear of upsetting other people who use the pool.”

Having also been refused extra lanes, Lewis asked management if they could install a pool etiquette sign but they have not done so.

“It’s stupid. It’s a real shame that I will be going to Rio and it’s not thanks to local facilities in the Forest.

“The pool is managed by people in Hereford and London who obviously don’t care about people in the Forest of Dean.

“It’s a real shame. I want to continue onto Tokyo 2020 but if there are no adequate local facilities I will have to go elsewhere.”

The publicly owned leisure centres in the Forest of Dean are all managed by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Forest of Dean District Council.

Dave Spencer, Freedom Leisure Area Manager for the Forest of Dean said: “We are extremely sorry and disappointed to hear that Mr Lewis says he is having trouble using the pool at Lydney, as we, along with representatives from the district council, met with him in spring 2015 to ensure we support him as much as we possibly can. "As a result we initiated a new swim lane policy on which Mr Lewis consulted, because it is very important to us that our facilities are the best they can be for both the local community and its local athletes. "We would welcome further discussions with Mr Lewis and we will again do all that we can to alleviate any concerns he has. "We wish very much for Mr Lewis to swim at Lydney, or any Freedom Leisure centres operated on behalf of district council, so that he can train closer to his home and visit with his family too.”