The man in charge of Medway’s swimming pools and leisure centres says the council is not to blame for a norovirus outbreak that affected up to 120 people mostly children.

Cllr Howard Doe, the cabinet member for community services, said it could have happened anywhere and declared the pool at Splashes 100% safe.

Despite investigations continuing this week he appeared to suggest that nothing more could be found out about what went wrong.

People who used the pool on October 28, including those attending an evening Halloween party in which the water was dyed red, became violently ill with some needing hospital treatment.

It emerged this week that some children were still ill. Medway Council has been working with Public Health England (PHE) to investigate and now identified the bug as norovirus.

The council is working with PHE to create an online questionnaire for those who fell ill so they can try to find out why the illness spread.

There are reports on social media that a customer may have vomited in the pool – just hours before the sold-out party – and it was not cleaned up properly.

There are also suggestions the level of chlorine in the pool had been reduced so the red dye could be added to the water for the party, which might explain how the bug spread.

A Medway Council spokesman said: “We are looking into this aspect as part of our inquiries to find out what happened.”

"Splashes is 100% safe" - leisure boss Cllr Howard Doe

Splashes was shut for most of the day on Monday, October 31 as reports of the illnesses came in, while a deep clean was carried and chlorine levels were increased in the pool.

Water samples were sent away for testing and have come back clear, but the council said these were taken after routine cleaning and did not test for viruses.

Cllr Doe said: “Beyond what we have done already, there isn’t much else to investigate.

“The public should have every confidence that we have looked into this in great detail. Splashes is 100% safe and there is no evidence to suggest it was ever unsafe.”

He added: “I am not in the business of covering anything up. We have gone into it in great detail.

“There is no suggestion that anything was wrong. And there is no evidence to suggest it could not have happened anywhere else.

“There is a risk in anything you do, particularly in public places such as these. Viruses can spread quite horribly and quite quickly.”

Cllr Doe admitted there was less chlorine in some pool dyes but said it would still have been above the recommended safety level.

He added: “We wouldn’t rule out using such a dye again. There is no evidence to suggest the chlorine was below the safe level.”

The Health and Safety Executive would not confirm if it was carrying out its own investigation into whether the correct procedures were followed at the pool.

A spokesman said: “I can confirm HSE are aware of this incident and in contact with Public Health England regarding the matter.”

Some of the younger victims have still been suffering the effects of the virus this week.
Johanna Grant’s daughter was initially unwell within hours of being in the pool on Friday, October 28.

Olivia, nine, recovered within a few days but last Thursday she started complaining of stomach pains again.

The Bredhurst School pupil has been off school for three days this week and had to see an emergency doctor on Tuesday night.

Her mum said: “She doesn’t want to eat anything. She has a few dry crackers and then she says she feel really uncomfortable and wished she hadn’t eaten anything.
“It is worrying that she is still unwell. But she isn’t the only one.”

Another girl affected by the virus had to go to A&E on Sunday because she was still suffering with stomach cramps.