Angry swimmers are considering changing pools after half-eaten food and dirty tiles were spotted at a recently refurbished leisure centre.

Bosses spent £7.5m upgrading Ashford's Stour Centre last year but visitors say hygiene issues are now putting them off using the facility.

One woman who has been using the pool since the 1970s says she has never known it to be so unhygienic.

Angela Cowland, of Hythe Road, said: "It's always been clean when I've visited in the past but they should keep it maintained with regular cleaners.

"Cleanliness is most important with Covid around.

"Cloakroom attendants would overcome this as that’s what we had years ago. They had permanent people keeping an eye on us and the old open-air pool in Ashford."

The 57-year-old, who has health problems, says she was put off visiting the site after seeing negative posts on Facebook – including photos of a half-eaten croissant and biscuits on the floor.

She says that given her medical situation, swimming is the perfect form of exercise for her.

"I have two leaks in my heart valve as well as asthma and diabetes," Ms Cowland said.

"I can’t over exert as I only have one damaged kidney left too, but the water helps keep you cool when doing a light workout.

"I’m still disappointed with what I saw and I can’t wait to hear how they’re dealing with it to keep it nice for the public."

Another Ashford resident, Paul Ryan, who used to work at the town's Covid test centre in Victoria Road, says he dreads to think what a bacteria swab would show.

"Covid hasn't gone away," he said.

"It's disgusting. If they went in there with a bacteria swab, I dread to think what they would find.

"It's been like it for two weeks now."

Mr Ryan says he was told by staff that there is just one cleaner for the centre.

He added: "Surely you'd have a whole team?

"When my other half complained about it, they sent two lifeguards up."

The father takes his daughter to the site for weekly swimming lessons, but is now considering changing to a different pool.

"I'm having second thoughts about taking my daughter there," he said.

"If I have to take her to Hythe or Tenterden, then so be it."

The centre – which opened in 1975 – underwent a £17m revamp in the mid-2000s, but was upgraded again last year.

The latest refurb saw 115 staff lose their jobs as the site was shut for a year.

Despite the main pool reopening in July last year, the learner and leisure pools remained shut until the winter while work went on to fix flaws in the tiling.

Responding to the hygiene concerns, a spokesman for Freedom Leisure, which runs the facility on behalf of Ashford Borough Council, assured visitors that cleanliness is very important to the company.

"Hygiene and public safety is of the highest importance to us at both the Stour Centre and all other facilities we operate on behalf of Ashford Borough Council," he said.

"We are aware of the area that has been highlighted and continue to work hard to try and ensure it is clean and in good repair.

"We are also investigating more permanent solutions that will stop the recurring rust markings on the metal handrails in the pool area."