The chairman of Enfield’s biggest swimming club has said “the whole sport in Enfield” could be effected by council cuts.

Faced with having to make millions of pounds in savings, Enfield Council have announced free swimming for all young people and free gym use for 14 and 15 year olds in the school holidays will now only be made available to the most overweight and deprived children in the borough.

Jean-Marc Soulas, chairman of Enfield Swim Squad, said while he can understand the need to make savings, he was worried it could lead to a slippery slope where pools may end up being closed in the future.

He said: “Swimming pools are the least profitable of all the leisure facilities, and cuts leave very little room for manoeuvre. They want to stop losing so much money, so I see what the problems are.

“What the impact on the public will be is difficult to say at the moment, and we do want to maintain them for the neediest.

“The answer is difficult, and one answer is filling the pools with concrete and closing them. That is a growing trend all over the country, and one which we are worried may happen in the future.

“Our club is not directly impacted at the moment, but the entire sport in Enfield could be.

“We are working closely with Fusion and the council, it is not always easy and we are all under pressure, but things can improve.”

Most schoolchildren will have to pay £2.10 per session, with a monthly rate of £23 also available for eight to 15 year olds.

Krystle Fonyonga, councillor responsible for community safety and public health, said she was "surprised" by Mr Soulas' comments.

"There are no plans to close any of the swimming pools in Enfield," she said.

"Over recent years, Enfield Council, working in partnership with Fusion, has invested significant sums of money in the leisure centres to make sure they attract as many users as possible and encourage more Enfield residents to be physically active.

"Attendances at the leisure centres are increasing year on year and we aim to further improve and increase leisure provision in the future, rather than reduce it. 

"Enfield’s swimming clubs are welcome and important customers for our leisure centres."

Cllr Fonyonga also said the council has been subsidising free swimming for under 16s since the Government pulled the funding in 2010, but this cannot continue with the future cuts due to hit the authority.