LEISURE lovers in Hawick are facing more frustration after an unexpected delay to the full opening of the swimming pool at Teviotdale Leisure Centre.

The soft play, gym, café and bowls hall are currently unaffected and fully reopened on Friday (March 29).

But last week, Live Borders, the culture and leisure trust that runs the facility, were informed that the pool – which has been closed for most of March while repair works were carried out – could not welcome back the public in time for the Easter break.

A Live Borders spokesperson said: “We were advised the chlorifier that provides heat at Teviotdale Leisure Centre has developed a fault.

“Engineers will be on site first thing on Tuesday morning (April 2), after which they will be able to provide us with a detailed report and update.

“To mitigate this we are expanding opening hours at Selkirk Leisure Centre to be open to Tuesday and will move all activity to the pool in Selkirk.

“All Learn to Swim participants are being advised that lessons will now remain at Selkirk until Tuesday, April 2 – and we will update them directly.

“We do appreciate this news is not welcome and thank you for your patience and understanding.

“Once again, we apologise for this very frustrating circumstance.”

At a meeting of Scottish Borders Council last week Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall sought assurances that the closure was not the “beginning of the end” of the facility.

He said: “Since these closures were first announced a couple of weeks ago it has been put to me by many regular users of the facility, and in particular those who frequently attend the gym or the swimming pool, are we witnessing the beginning of the end of our leisure facility in Hawick?

“My response to those users groups is that I’m hopeful that by carrying out such important upgrades and in continuing to invest in identifying maintenance issues in the building it will hopefully provide reassurance to the townsfolk and the wider Borders community, that Teviotdale will come out of this much stronger and I’m keeping everything crossed that that is indeed the case.”