A multi-million pound leisure centre which recently celebrated its first birthday has come under fire amid claims of “poor hygiene” and “rotten toilets”.

Visitors to White Oak Leisure Centre, in Hilda May Avenue, in Swanley, are cancelling their memberships and refusing to return.

Some reported seeing clumps of hair in the drains and rusty chrome and stained walls at the newly built £20 million fitness suite.

Managers of the site Everyone Active, who work in partnership with Sevenoaks council, say they are aware of recent concerns and have “adjusted their cleaning process to improve the customer experience”.

But Georgie Ivy, who used to travel from Sidcup to visit the old centre, has stopped going now alotgether because she says the new facility is so dirty.

“It’s too gross,” she said. We go to Sidcup Leisure Centre now instead.

“We were going to restart our daughter’s swimming lessons there but after five lessons I decided I wasn’t setting foot in there again.”

Adelle Smith, from Swanley, worked at the new centre as a cleaner when it first opened but ended up “walking out”.

“The management is so bad,” she told KentOnline. “They don’t train anyone properly.”

The 27-year-old has fond memories of the old centre which was controversially demolished to make way for its modern replacement despite huge opposition.

“I always think of the flumes and the treasure island,” she said. “I had my birthday there when I was little.

“After we would go swimming I remember going to the cafe having some chips and a slush puppy. I miss the old White Oak. I have so many happy memories.”

She added: “The pool is awful now. Not like the old one. It just looks boring and unfun.”

Swanley resident Maria Day, who takes her young children to the centre, agreed it does not reach hygiene expectations.

“Considering how much it cost to build. It’s such as shame,” she said.

“Me and my friend take our girls swimming lessons every week. Last week her little boy was eating chocolate whilst sitting on the blue viewing seats.

“He’s young and did get chocolate on the seat. We tried to clean up as much as possible.

“When we went a week later we were shocked to find the chocolate was still on the seat. I know it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the changing rooms but it goes to show cleanliness is not a priority.”

The centre celebrated its first birthday in February this year and posted nearly 3,000 fitness members had joined, 800 children had signed up for swimming lessons and more than 160,000 people had swum at the pool in the first year.

But many of them have already left.

Swanley resident Ria River used to go every day but cancelled her membership because of how dirty she felt the facility was.

This is despite the fact she needs to go to help her fibromyalgia and has no other pool close by.

“The place wasn’t cleaned,” she said. “The toilets were rotten. I was going daily and they weren’t being touched.

“I used to go eveyday to help with my fibromyalgia but now I don’t go anywhere as I’d need a pool and I can’t drive to another one.”

She added: “It’s not fair for residents. Everyone was so excited when it opened and it’s just a shambles now.”

Michelle Hayes, from West Kingsdown, was disappointed after she planned to start visiting the new pool regularly to help with her chronic back pain.

In the end, she only went once and never returned after noticing unclean it was.

She said: “It’s filthy. I complained to the manager there and then and haven’t been back. My complaints fell on deaf ears as my daughter, Flo, has been back since and said it was still dirty.

She said there were clumps of hair in the changing room drainage channels and stains on the doors and walls of the cubicles.

“All the chrome in the pool area was pitted and rusted within months,” Michells added. “It’s all cheap materials they’ve used.”

‘We apologise if expectations have not been met on this occasion’

Hasan Romel, area contract manager for Everyone Active, said: “It is incredibly important to us that our customers feel our leisure centres offer a clean and welcoming environment.

“Following recent concerns raised thorough cleaning has taken place in all areas of the centre and we have adjusted our cleaning process to improve the customer experience.

“Our cleaners receive full training and the centre’s cleaning regime is continually reviewed.”

It apologised expectations had not been met and sought to reassure customers it will continue to work to improve the cleanliness of the site.

The provider has recently been appointed by the council take on the leases of Edenbridge and Sevenoaks Leisure Centres after the old provider went into liquidation.

Both centres were forced to close at short notice but have since reopened.