A petition calling on Medway Council to reverse its decision to slash the hours of the Towns’ only open-air pool has received more than 1,000 signatures in a week.

Campaigners launched the online petition after council bosses decided The Strand lido in Gillingham would only be open at weekends until July 24, and will then open daily until Sunday, September 4, between 11am and 5pm.

The pools had previously been open from 8.30am to 7pm, seven days a week, and residents are angry the changes were made without a public consultation.

They launched a social media campaign and online petition last week, which has received 1,050 signatures, from supporters across the country.

Hazel Shearer from Orkney in Scotland commented on the petition to say her family come to Medway every year to visit the pool, as her dad used to run it.

She wrote: “My dad used to run the pool and it was always so busy. We still visit every year from Orkney.

“It’s a fantastic facility that must be kept open for all.”

Victoria Hill, 41, from Rainham, has set up a Twitter account to promote the campaign, called @StrandLido.

She joined fellow campaigners at a meeting on Tuesday night, where it was decided they would form a users group.

Ms Hill, said: “The petition is really doing well. We had a few of us meet up for our inaugural meeting. It was great to meet other residents who are also concerned about the council’s decision.

“We’re going to be setting up a users or friends group so we are more formal and organised and hopefully that will help us with the council. We want to put forward some ideas to the council about how the lido can be better run, so it is more financially viable.

“Our next step is to engage the council and have a conversation about how we can work together. The lido is not going to make any money if it is closed.”

Gillingham North ward councillor Pat Cooper, said: “This has got to be a resident-led campaign. The councillors have brought it to the attention of the council but it is now up to the group of residents and people who use the pool, to take the campaign forward.

"They’re going to make sure this is kept up and the users group is going really well.”

The council has said it would only open the pool during the week if weather forecasts predict a mini heatwave and said that the lido has been “poorly attended, other than on exceptionally warm and sunny days”.

• Campaigners have launched a petition after Splashes Sports Centre in Rainham slashed its Sunday opening hours. The council-run leisure centre which has a swimming pool and gym, now closes at 8pm, rather than 10pm. Campaigner Mary Kean will be at the centre on Sunday with a petition and is urging people to go along to sign it.