Diving hopefuls can't take the plunge

Divers hoping to follow in the footsteps of new teenage Olympic star Tom Daley will struggle to follow their dreams in the Midlands.

Walsall Gala Baths is now the only public pool left in the Black Country which can offer the chance to try out diving, with a spring board and three high platforms.

It is thought that health and safety fears prompted many pools in the region to axe their boards years ago.

The efforts of 14-year-old Tom, who missed out on a medal yesterday in the men's synchronised event, have brought the sport back into the spotlight, but Midlanders are hard pushed to find venues to practice.

In Wolverhampton, none of the council-run swimming pools offer diving facilities, with Bilston baths having got rid of its high dive platforms in the 1990s followed by the springboard five years ago.

It is a similar situation in South Staffordshire, where the four leisure centres have their own pools, but no platforms or boards.

Dudley Council removed all diving boards from its four pools in the 1990s, blaming capacity issues, while there are no diving facilities at Sandwell's leisure centres.

Not even Birmingham offers diving at its council-run pools, while Black Country residents willing to travel to Shropshire will have to head all the way to The Quarry pool in Shrewsbury to find a diving board.

Walsall's Gala Baths has 7.5m, 5m and 3m diving boards plus a one-metre spring board.

Deputy duty manager Lewis Prince said: "There are a number of diving sessions held throughout the week and we do have some very good divers come to teach their children."

Scott Hodges, manager of Central Baths in Wolverhampton, said that despite the lack of diving facilities they were still experiencing the 'Olympics effect' with a renewed interest in swimming.

Bilston Leisure Centre assistant manager Jean Wilde said she thought a health and safety clampdown was behind the decision to get rid of the diving boards years ago.