A SWIMMER had to be rushed to hospital after a pane of glass fell on him from the roof of Crewe Swimming Pool.

The pool was immediately closed last week after the glass, measuring eight square feet, hit two swimmers causing one to need stitches for a serious cut.

The second swimmer also received a minor cut, but didn't need hospital treatment.

Byron Davies, head of the council's Leisure Services Committee said the building had passed a safety inspection earlier this year.

"There has been a full architect's investigation during the last 12 months so something must have loosened the panes quite recently," he said.

"It may have started through some sort of vandalism. Kids may have been throwing stones at the glass, which would have opened it up to an aggressive environment, then the wind could have caught it."

Mr Davies said the glass would be replaced and a full inspection would be carried out on all the other panes in the roof.

"This is an unfortunate accident which could not have been forseen," he said.

"Every action will be followed to ensure it does not occur again in the future and it won't re-open until I'm completely satisfied that it's safe."

The pool was expected to re-open this week.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.