
£13k cost of Douglas swimming pool damage surveys revealed
A total of £13,000 has been spent on investigations into the cause of damage at the the main pool at the Isle of Man's National Sports Centre, it has emerged.A 16ft (5m) stretch of two of the lanes in the pool have been closed since November 2023 after a fault was identified with the flooring at the centre in Douglas.Education, Sport and Culture Minister Daphne Caine told Tynwald the department had been "eager to understand the root cause" of the issue at the pool.She confirmed a series of investigations and specialist reports had now been completed, and the department was currently considering the findings.
The swimming complex at the sports centre has faced a number of problems since a £4.4m revamp began in 2018, including lengthy delays to the reopening of the leisure pool and water slides.
Calling for an update on the progress of the investigations, Jason Moorhouse MHK said the timescale to find a resolution had been a concern.The costs had been £10,500 for a site visit and report and £2,500 for material analysis, Caine confirmed.Officers were also in dialogue with the main contractor about the outcome of the surveys and the minister said she would be able to provide a further progress report once those meetings had taken place.The department had expected repair work would have been completed by September 2025 to ensure school swimming would not be affected, but that was now unlikely, she added.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Looks like a Wetherspoons plate' slam bemused Reading fans as new football kit is unveiled
FOOTIE fans say their team's new home shirt is driving them pottery — because it looks like a Wetherspoon pub plate. League One club Reading unveiled its kit for the 2025/26 season to the bemusement of some supporters yesterday. 3 3 The traditional blue hoops with a white background on the jersey now have a swirly pattern. It is meant to resemble a biscuit tin in a nod to the Berkshire town's rich trade in the snacks. The club was previously nicknamed The Biscuitmen before becoming known as The Royals. But some smart cookies online say it looks more like the crockery from the popular pub chain. The price takes the biscuit as well, with the adults kit costing £103 altogether — £58 for the top, £30 for shorts and £15 for socks. For children, it is £48, £25, and £15 respectively — a total of £88. But supporters of the club, founded in 1871, seemed to be more concerned about the look of the shirts — modelled on Instagram by new signing Paudie O'Connor and by supporters in a club video. One fan online quipped: 'Looks like a Wetherspoons plate.' Another agreed: 'Wetherspoons plate kit.' A third said: 'We don't want to look like biscuits tins…not my cup of tea.' Royals fan Matt Wilkinson commented: 'Let's hope we can do our talking on the pitch in this kit — rather than being mocked off of it for looking like a dog's dinner — served on a Spoons' plate.' One football fan added: 'Looks like my nan's wallpaper in the 70s.' Others said the jersey resembled a festive sweater, with one quipping: 'What in the Christmas kit is this?' But in a jokey reference to classier tablewear collections, Tom argued: 'If some trendy team like Venezia or Versailles came out with this, it would be lauded as one of the best shirts of the season. I think it's spectacular!'


The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Nicolas Jackson apologises for sending off against Flamengo
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has apologised for his red card in the 3-1 Club World Cup loss to Flamengo. The 24-year-old was sent off for raking his studs down the shin of Lucas Ayrton just four minutes after coming on as Enzo Maresca's side collapsed in the second half. 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my team-mates, and all the fans watching, I let you down,' said Jackson, who was sent off against Newcastle in their third-last Premier League match. 'Another red card… And honestly, I'm so angry at myself. I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation. 'I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a moment in football that went the wrong way. 'No excuses. I take full responsibility. I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. 'Sorry. Sorry, Sorry.' When Maresca was asked about Jackson's challenge and his recent indiscipline he told DAZN: 'It was a red card, so nothing to say.' However, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella admitted it was something the 24-year-old had to improve. 'He is young player, he has a lot of quality, he maybe needs to improve this a little bit. We are here to improve, we are not perfect so it is part of the game,' he said. The Blues were leading through Pedro Neto's 13th-minute strike but after second-half goals from Bruno Henrique and Danilo in quick succession Jackson saw red and Wallace Yan scored the Brazil side's third. Maresca put the damaging defeat down to 'trying something new' for next season. 'It completely changed the game. Unfortunately we conceded two goals in a short moment and then the red card and then I think it is complicated to get back into the game,' the Chelsea boss added. 'We tried – but congratulations to them. They deserved to win. 'We tried to do something different in the game, for next season and for the future.'


The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Luke Humphries has say on ‘fartgate' in message to rival James Wade after Players Championship darts win
JAMES WADE has proved that flatulent glee gets you everywhere - after the jubilant 'Fartgate' flinger won the support of Luke Humphries. The Machine shrugged off controversy over his loud and less than proud intervention against Peter Wright by winning Players Championship 19. 2 Wade trumped Scott Williams in the final to move back up to World No. 8. The English oche ace was so overjoyed to be on-song after his pong that he posted a message on X. And he got a surprise reply from Cool Hand, offering him congratulations - albeit with a mischievous twist... Wade, 42, wrote: "Good Morning everyone. Wow!! I'm over the moon you can't believe. "I played well in all games this week and last night was the high I've been aiming for!! Celebrations all round. "As always, thank you to all my supporters and the kind comments. "Thank you to my sponsors and management team!" The 2024 Ally Pally king said: "Great farts mate!! I mean 'Darts'." However, fans managed to be even less subtle than Humphries with their rip-ostes. James Wade names two darts stars who should NOT have been invited into Premier League darts One wrote: "You have blown all your opponents away, the smell of success is strong when your on stage." Another mused: "Must be great to let off a bit if steam, although Peter Wright might not agree." The farting furore exploded live on TV during Players Championship 17 when Wade let rip during a 6-5 victory over Wright. Snakebite might be better suited to dealing with stings than stinks - but he initially laughed it off. Referee Owen Binks reminded them "this is a streamed match, guys". Wade then suggested his Scottish opponent 'Give it a second' before he returned to the oche. But Snakebite appeared to believe that time period was a clear under-estimate. Wade eventually went on to not just nick that match but get better as the week wore on - at darts, that is - peaking with the PC19 crown. Yet incredibly it's the second time the Surrey star has been caught in a storm of his own brewing. That blast from the past was at the Players Championship last September when he blamed the noise on velcro from his new trainers.