TWO divers braved the chilly temperatures to confirm there was no lasting damage to Bathurst Pool following a vandal attack on the Lydney landmark.

Jamie Morris and James Herbert, who both come from Chepstow, were not the only people to rally round to support the volunteers who run the open-air pool.

Sheila and Bob Berryman, who are two of the trustees, said they have been overwhelmed by the offers of help which have included donations and people wanting to put up a reward to catch the vandals who attacked the pool.

Jamie and James spent much of Sunday morning in the pool removing objects including poles and checking that the pool liner had not been damaged.

With temperatures around four degrees centigrade, the divers needed hot water to defrost their breathing apparatus before starting.

They were able to give the liner a clean bill of health – trustees were concerned they could face a bill of up to £40,000 to replace it had it been ripped.

Mrs Berryman said: “On behalf of the trustees of the Friends of Bathurst Pool I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been in contact following the devastating vandalism at the pool which was discovered on Sunday, February 7.

“The number of phone calls, texts, e-mails and Facebook posts we have received has been overwhelming.

“I am delighted to report that all the debris from the bottom of the pool has been removed and there appears to be no damage to the liner.”

She said particular thanks went to the two divers who spent most of Sunday morning in the water.

Mr Berryman said: “People have been really supportive, Martins (newsagent) in Lydney have collected £300 and we’ve had people who want to give a reward of £1,000 for information.

“We’ve been amazed by the response and it’s not just Lydney. We’ve had calls from Monmouth, Ross and the surrounding areas.”

The Tesco store in Lydney is one of several businesses in the town that have set up collection boxes and pool trustees are setting up a page for contributions on the JustGiving website.

It is expected that the bill for repairing and replacing damaged equipment will run into several thousands of pounds.

The trustees are also looking to increase security with CCTV which is monitored 24-hours a day.

The damage is thought to have been committed over the weekend of February 6-7. Anyone with information about those responsible for the attack are asked to ring Gloucestershire Police on 101 quoting incident 219 of February 7.

The vandalism will be the main item on the agenda at the pool’s annual general meeting which takes place on Tuesday (February 23) at 7.30pm at 3, Hill Street, Lydney, the former British Legion club.

Anyone with an interest in the future of the pool will be warmly welcomed.