For decades it has been a summer attraction, where hundreds of children could go to cool down as summer temperatures rocketed.

But East Park Pool today is dry as a bone after being effectively condemned as unfit for use by council chiefs. Today it emerged the attraction was in need of £20,000 of repairs, meaning it will not open this year. Parents have been arriving with their youngsters only to be told that there will be no water in the pool this year.

The news is in stark contrast to the fun being enjoyed on the west side of the city, with families flocking to enjoy Tettenhall Pool as temperatures were expected to hit 22C (72F) today and 23C (73F) tomorrow.

Sarah Campbell, chief cultural services officer at Wolverhampton City Council, said today: “Unfortunately we are not currently in a position to open East Park Pool to the public this year.

“The pool dates from the 1950s and each year we have spent money on emergency repairs, but the pool itself is now badly in need of a full replacement.

“Work to repair the pumps and pipework, costing around £20,000, is needed for immediate repairs – and even this is not guaranteed to leave it in a usable state.”

She said the council was working on providing other activities for children in the area.

East Park Labour councillor Keith Inston said today: “They always seem to find the money to get Tettenhall Pool ready but never East Park. It’s one of the few attractions that we have.”

He criticised the lack of publicity about the closure and said people were only aware of it when they turned up. “If somebody wants to use a pool, they’ve got to go to Tettenhall, which for the people I represent, if they’ve got to get two or three buses to get there, is not on,” he said.

Brian Woodall, aged 64, from Tamar Drive, Dudley, took his grandchildren to the pool yesterday only to find it empty. The accountant said: “It was really disappointing.”