CUSTOMERS and staff at a Highworth leisure centre cut the ribbon to open new £40,000 gym facilities - but one visitor thinks the money should have been spent on fixing rundown changing rooms.

Trustees of the Highworth Recreation Centre and Halo Leisure staff joined gym-goers for the opening ceremony of the new facility, which is twice the size of the old one.

It uses a new eco cooling system, and has twice as many workout machines, including new treadmills, cross-trainers, and bikes, plus new equipment like the weight-training Smiths machine.

However one Highworth man, who wanted to remain anonymous, was appalled by the conditions in the changing rooms for the swimming pool where he takes his son for regular swimming lessons.

He said: “They’ve got their priorities wrong, instead of bringing in new gym equipment, they should have first focused on improving the hygiene aspect of the pool changing rooms, which are disgusting.

“The pool itself is fine and the swimming teachers are great, but I don’t like that my son has to use changing rooms where plaster peels off the walls, duct tape holds tiles up, pegs were ripped off, and there’s mould and mildew in the showers,

“After lessons, he gets changed and I take him straight home to shower there instead. I pay to use the pool but I feel like the money is not being invested back into making the facilities in that part of the leisure centre safe and clean.”

A spokeswoman for Halo Leisure explained: “In 2014, before Halo and the Highworth Trust formed its current partnership, the centre developed the changing facilities to a more family-friendly communal village changing layout.

"When issues with the flooring and drainage came to light, Halo immediately contacted the building contractors who undertook the work to discuss urgent repairs.

“It transpired that the company is no longer trading which is the reason for the slow progress,” she said.

“Sport England is offering support and has appointed another company to investigate. Initial findings suggest that the original design was not appropriate for a busy changing room serving a community swimming pool.

“In the meantime Halo’s technical team is putting into place short term remedial fixes which are starting on Wednesday. But the long term solution is dependent on additional funding.

“Once this has been secured, Halo will manage the work ensuring it is done to the correct specifications and standards it demands for its customers.”

Martin Suter, centre manager, said of the new gym: “We know people come to the centre because of the facilities, but they keep coming back because of the service we offer.

“Our trained team of fitness professionals want to make sure we bring better health to our local community via everything from swimming lessons and group exercise classes to personal programmes in the gym.

“We’re thrilled with the refurb in the gym, but more excited about what we can achieve in terms of getting more people more active more often.”