CHARD'S swimming pools were forced to close for several days last week because of a problem with the hot water at the town's leisure centre.

The issue – which also affected the facility's showers – meant the five-lane main and learner pools were shut from Monday, May 27 until the weekend.

Other parts of the leisure centre, such as its café, gym and soft play area, remained open.

Users were told about the problem in the afternoon of May 27.

In a post on the centre's official Facebook page, a Chard Leisure Centre spokesperson said: “Unfortunately we have been unable to fix the issue with the hot water, therefore the pool will remain closed until further notice.

“We are hoping the engineer will be able to update us further tomorrow (Tuesday, May 28) and as soon as we know, we will update you.

“The soft play, cafe, gym and classes will be open, although there will not be hot water for showers.

“We thank you for your understanding and apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

The leisure centre provided updates on May 28, 29 and 30 as the pools remained shut.

On Saturday (June 1), the main pool was finally able to re-open. The learner pool re-opened on Sunday.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding while we resolved the operational issues,” a spokesperson said.

Chard Leisure Centre is run by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Somerset Council.

The centre officially opened in November 2021.