THE start of building work on Malmesbury's new £3 million indoor swimming pool has been delayed because of a lack of steel.

Work was due to begin last week on the new state-of-the-art swimming centre in Bremilham Road, but the builders, North Midland Construction, have been left high and dry after a company which supplies steel girders to the industry closed unexpectedly.

But the builders said this week they will continue with groundwork until they can track down another supply of steel support girders.

It is anticipated that work on the structure will eventually start on September 30.

North Midland Construction's marketing manager, Mike Thornett, said: "The lack of steel is an industry wide problem. There has been a national supply shortage of steel reinforcements, as a factory in Kent has closed leaving just one factory in the UK. We have a supplier that we use that sources steel both from the UK and abroad.

"There is preparatory work to be done on the site and the problems in sourcing the steel should not cause too much of a delay."

Secretary of the town's swimming club, the Malmesbury Marlins, Barbara Maidment, said: "We are very concerned about the delay to the building of the pool. We have waited a long time for our own pool and it would be a big disappointment for the club if we had to wait even longer for the new pool.

"If it is delayed we will be a swimming club without a home, but we have a contingency plan to use The Olympiad in Chippenham to continue our training.

"The club has been very successful this season and we have won most of the galas we have entered."

The delay is the latest blow to Malmesbury's efforts to get the much-needed new pool.

Plans for the pool were first submitted more than 20 years ago, and were given a real impetus when an anonymous benefactor put up £300,000 in the mid-1990s.

North Wiltshire District Council pledged £865,000 and Malmesbury Town Council and parish councils put up £15,000.

But plans to build the pool had to be delayed for a year to secure funding for the project.

The building work only finally got the go-ahead last month when the council was awarded a £1.2 million lottery pay out, half the £2,359,670 cost of the project.

North Wiltshire District Council officers and North Midland Construction met last Wednesday on the site to finalise details of the plans.

North Wiltshire Leisure Ltd will run the new pool and managing director Adrian Jones said that the last year has been put to good use.

He said: "We have been working with North Wiltshire District Council modifying the earlier plans.

"Access for the disabled has been improved and we have worked on ensuring that the cleanliness of the changing rooms and showers can be maintained by staff."

The new pool will have four lanes and be 25 metres long.

One of the pool's most striking features will be that its depth will be able to be varied using a moveable floor.

The indoor pool will replace the outdoor one on Old Alexander Road.

Next summer will be the last for the outdoor pool, which this year has had one of its lowest attendances for years.

Mr Jones said: "The miserable summer weather that we have had this season is reflected in the attendance at the open air pool in Malmesbury.

"It has been the one of the worst seasons in the ten years that I have been managing the pool."

No decision has yet been taken on the old swimming pool site.

The land is likely to be eventually sold off for new homes.