THE future of Knutsford’s swimming club is still at risk after talks with pool bosses about how they might work together ended without a compromise.

Vikings claim they have lost around a quarter of their members as a result.

“People are fed up of the ongoing indecision,” said chairman Richard Baldry.

“They want to know what’s happening, and I can’t tell them – we haven’t a clue whether we’ll be able to continue swimming there when a new school term starts in September. It’s a proper mess.”

Everybody Sport and Recreation (ESAR), which manages the pool in town on behalf of Cheshire East Council, have proposed their staff will run Learn to Swim schemes for beginners from next April.

Vikings would be forced by then to halt their own teaching programme, in which a combination of volunteers and paid coaches deliver tailored classes that help youngsters prepare for competitive swimming.

They say that could impact on half of their current members, who would transfer to ESAR’s scheme.

The charitable trust, which must spend profits – or savings – on improving their services, said earlier this year that they need to make more money to ‘ensure survival’ amid ‘increasing financial pressure.’

They also requested clubs like Vikings stop signing up newcomers to their own schemes straightaway.

In return, they promised to recommend to children they should join a local club after reaching the end of a seven-stage scheme.

Baldry said: “We’ve played ball, and not recruited new swimmers even though we think parents should be able to choose between leisure centre lessons or those run by a club.”

Negotiations over a new user agreement, which defines ring-fenced periods for Vikings’ remaining members to train, started months ago.

ESAR offered cheaper pool hire rates at off-peak times, such as early morning during the week or late on a Sunday afternoon.

Saturdays, a long-established club slot, would be reserved instead for lessons.

“We believed we’d agreed on a timetable, and that some of our concerns had been sorted,” said Baldry.

“But ESAR reneged on that in the middle of last month, and we’ve not spoken since.”

Parents of the club’s swimmers have collected more than 500 signatures for a petition asking ESAR to reconsider their policy.

Christine Buckley said: “We’re in limbo. We don’t know if our children will be having lessons at the end of the summer or not.

“If they are, we’ve no idea at what time or on what day.”