CAMPAIGNERS who have fought for the right to take their children swimming are celebrating after their two-year campaign proved a success.

The Right to Swim campaign was launched in March 2004 to change the pool admission rules at Maidstone Leisure Centre, which insisted on a one-to-one ratio of adults to children under four.

The campaign, led by Maidstone mother Carolyn Warner, sparked a change in national policy, which was ratified locally at a meeting of Maidstone Borough Council’s recreation and community services committee.

Under the new rules, an adult can take a child of three or under and a four to seven-year-old into the water if the younger child is wearing armbands.

But the change in policy, which comes into effect on May 1, has, ironically, come too late for Mrs Warner: her eldest son turned eight the very day the new policy was agreed - meaning the family is no longer affected by the age ruling.

Mrs Warner, of Littlebourne Road, Maidstone, said: “We are absolutely chuffed with the change really. We are really pleased with what we have achieved.

“We had un-ending support from parents in Maidstone. It really is parent power that has done this. All it needed was someone to push it in the right direction.”

She added: “It is a long time - two years without a pool - and it is a bit frustrating that my son turned eight when the rules were changed.

“But if you believe in something and you know there is a way, then common sense will win through. Luckily for us it has in Maidstone.”

Maidstone and Weald MP Ann Widdecombe (Con) said: “That crazy guideline effectively eliminated mums from taking two young children to the swimming pool during the week, if dad was unavailable and granny had other things to do.

“In the case of parents with twins and a third child under five, it was necessary to recruit a small army of helpers before such a treat were possible.

“The borough council has now finally agreed that Mote Park need no longer abide by this government diktat.

“Well done Carolyn. Determination and common sense has won out.”

The Right to Swim campaign has attracted 20,000 members nationally through its website and the group is continuing to campaign across the country to encourage leisure centres to adopt the new guidelines.

Mrs Warner added: “There are a surprising number of pools across the country that still don’t know the guidelines haven’t changed.”

The group’s website has lists of the admissions rules for pools across the country. If you wish to know more then visit www.righttoswim.co.uk