COUNCIL bosses were greeted at a meeting by a party of Holywell Mead pool protesters holding inflatables and dressed in swimming costumes - who warned, 'we won't go away'.

About 20 campaigners from the Holywell Mead Pool Group pulled on their swimwear and stood outside Wycombe District Council's Queen Victoria Road office ahead of Monday night's full cabinet meeting to “act as a reminder to councillors” about the issue.

Conservative-run WDC closed the outdoor pool last summer to save £66,000 a year.

It said the facility was under-used and cost too much – which sparked disappointment among many residents who have been campaigning for the complex to be re-opened.

Neil Bailey, chairman of the pool group, said: “It wasn't a PR exercise, we just wanted to remind the council before the cabinet meeting about the pool issue so it was fresh in their minds and we want them to publicly state what they plan to do with Holywell Mead.

“We have got thousands of people, lots of businesses, companies and community groups that want to see the pool reinstated, we could do this (protest) until we die a death.

“I think the council gets the impression we're a minority group and we will disappear - but the town wants a pool and it was a message to the council that we will not go away.”

Earlier this month, Cllr Katrina Wood accused opposition councillors and protesters of “hijacking” a £9,000 public consultation over the future of the site on The Rye, High Wycombe.

The claims were made after the results of the survey revealed a pool and café were the top choices of all those quizzed. But this was furiously denied by the campaign group.

Deputy leader of the council Tony Green told the Bucks Free Press the consultation results would not be wasted and the findings would be passed on to groups and businesses when the site is put out to tender in June.

Mr Bailey said “several parties were interested” in teaming up with the pool group to launch a joint bid for the site when it does go out to tender.

He added that any prospective consortium that proposed a swimming pool for the site would get the campaign group's full backing.

But he warned that the protests would continue if the council selected a contractor which proposed a leisure facility without a swimming pool.